Thursday’s MLB schedule is highlighted by a showdown between the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres, two of the best teams in the National League right now. At home, the Padres are heavily favored with a moneyline of -185, while the Mets have a moneyline of +155. The Mets vs Padres also has an over/under of 7 runs.
Of course, the Padres are favored in this game despite losing four in a row and losing their grip on first place in the NL West. They’ve quickly gone from the hottest team in baseball to a team in a massive slump after getting swept by the Chicago Cubs earlier this week. Nevertheless, they are still 11 games over .500 and just one game behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.
Meanwhile, the Mets continue to build upon their lead atop the NL East, which now sits at 4.5 games. After enduring a three-game losing streak amidst a sea of injuries, the Mets have won six of their last seven games. Despite being just six games over .500, they have the biggest lead of any division leader in the majors.
Ground Walker
On Thursday, the Mets will send Taijuan Walker to the mound. Walker has quietly been one of the best starters in the National League this year, going 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA over his first nine starts of the season. Despite missing time because of a minor injury, Walker was on fire in May, giving up just one earned run on seven hits over his last four starts, covering 22 innings during that span.
Walker will be facing a San Diego lineup that has gone cold during the team’s losing streak. The Padres have scored a total of 10 runs over their last four games, with a team-wide slump impacting one of the most potent lineups in baseball. While San Diego has the bats to break out of its slump at any time, several players are battling minor injuries that could keep them out of Thursday’s game, including Fernando Tatis Jr. and Tommy Pham, who have both been productive amidst the team’s offensive struggles.
This One’s on Yu
The good news for the Padres is that Yu Darvish is set to take the mound on Thursday. In 11 starts this season, Darvish is 5-1 with a 2.16 ERA, making him the perfect pitcher to take the mound for a team that’s struggling to score runs. The only caveat is that he’s coming off a subpar outing, giving up four earned runs over five innings against the Astros in his last start.
Meanwhile, the New York offense is slowly starting to come around, averaging 7.75 runs per game over their last four games. Pete Alonso has returned from the IL red-hot, going 5 for 13 with five RBIs. Also, the likes of Francisco Lindor, James McCann, and Dominic Smith are finally getting hot, helping to make up for the hitters who are still on the IL.
Road Warriors
Despite their recent losing streak, the Padres are rightly favored in this game. But at +155, New York’s moneyline holds a lot of value. After all, Walker negates the edge the Padres get from Walker while the Mets are the hot team at the moment.
Bet on New York to beat San Diego on Thursday.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.