The two best teams in the National League begin a three-game series on Tuesday night, with the New York Mets hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers in a potential playoff preview. At home, the Mets are slight underdogs with a moneyline of +120, while the Dodgers have a moneyline of -140. There is also an over/under of 8.5 runs.
The Dodgers head to New York after winning three of four games against the Marlins. They were the hottest team in baseball during the first month of August, and their version of cooling off a little during the second half of the month is going 10-5 in their last 15 games. Los Angeles is running away with the top seed in the National League, currently leading the Mets by nine games in the loss column.
Meanwhile, the Mets are only thinking about holding off the Braves, who they lead by three games in the NL East. They recently underwent a 4-6 stretch that reduced their lead over Atlanta. But after winning three of four games against the Rockies over the weekend, the Mets hope to be back on track.
Going for a Walk
The Mets will have Taijuan Walker on the mound for Tuesday’s series opener. Over 22 starts this year; Walker is 10-3 with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. However, he’s endured a couple of rough starts and injury woes in August, although he lasted five innings in his last start, allowing two runs on four hits against the Yankees.
Meanwhile, the Mets are still trying to get their offense going, scoring three runs or less in five of their last six games. The good news is that the middle of the order with Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Mark Canha has been red-hot lately. But other parts of New York’s lineup aren’t exactly clicking right now, including Francisco Lindor, who’s hitless in his last five games.
Surprise!
Andrew Heaney will make his 10th start of the season for the Dodgers on Tuesday. Heaney has been a huge surprise for Los Angeles this year, going 2-1 with a 1.94 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP over nine starts despite missing a huge chunk of the season with a shoulder problem. While he’s been a little more vulnerable lately, Heaney has ten strikeouts in back-to-back games, and the Dodgers are 7-2 in games that he’s started this year.
Of course, while the Dodgers have a powerful lineup, they’ve run hot and cold lately. The Dodgers have scored three runs or less in six of their last 12 games, but they’ve also scored at least seven runs in their other six games during that stretch. Naturally, the trio of Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and Mookie Betts are all red-hot, battling over .400 in the team’s last six games, as is Justin Turner, who’s adding further depth.
Worth a Shot
It’s tough to bet against the Dodgers, but the Mets have a lot of value as home underdogs in this game. As mentioned, the Dodgers have had plenty of subpar offensive performances lately, while the Mets are 25-18 this year against left-handed starters, so they could find success against Heaney. Take a chance on the Mets to win Tuesday’s series opener.
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