The mood among Mets fans this week was dark after going down three games to the Braves and losing the NL East title. But the team rallied in a big way against the Nationals and talked about a renewed focus going into the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres. The east vs. west teams face off Friday, Oct. 7 through Sunday, Oct. 9, at Citi Field, and it’s time to look at New York Mets odds.
Reports from the Mets’ clubhouse Thursday reflected a newly energized team, with Christmas-morning excitement for what’s ahead. New gear, new graphics, and new postseason signage adorned the locker room walls. “This is the best time of the year,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor.
The odds reflect his enthusiasm. The NY Mets, with their home-field advantage and regular-season record of 101-61, are favored to beat the Padres with their 89-73 record. The Mets are oddsmakers’ fifth favorite to win the World Series. The plot twist here is that the Padres have a winning record against New York, having taken four out of their six matchups.
“The Padres are obviously a really good club, and we’ve got our work cut out for us,” manager Buck Showalter said.
“Friday’s going to be kind of a different beast,” said Jeff McNeil, the newly crowned 2022 MLB batting champion. “It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be rocking. We’ve got to be ready to play. It’s going to be a lot of fun and looking forward to it.”
Mets Playoffs Betting Odds: Mets vs. Padres Preview
The Mets are oddsmakers’ favorite for the decisive game of the series against the Padres Sunday, but the Mets are 3-5 against the Padres this season, including the playoffs. In the Padres’ two wins against the Mets at Citi Field during the regular season, the Padres started Yu Darvish and Blake Snell. In the Mets’ win, Carlos Carrasco started. The two teams have never met in the postseason before this year.
Here are the best Mets playoffs betting odds across top New York sports betting outlets.
The Mets need Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor to show up in a big way for the postseason, something they are very likely to do. For any close games, closer Edwin Diaz is well-rested and ready to make some saves. Scherzer, deGrom, and Bassitt all need to show up, but both Scherzer and deGrom aren’t likely to pitch a ton of innings, so the bullpen is key, too.
Judging from the energy in the Mets’ clubhouse, this team is ready. Here’s the series schedule and how to watch:
- Game 1: San Diego 7, NY Mets 1
- Game 2: NY Mets 7, San Diego 3
- Game 3: Sunday, Oct. 9, 6:07 p.m. ET
Watch the games on ESPN on MLB.TV.
Probable Pitching Matchups for Mets vs. Padres
The big question for this series is: Which version of the Mets’ starting pitchers is going to show up? The team will start Max Scherzer in Game 1, and then Jacob deGrom and Chris Bassitt in some order for games two and three. They’re three of the best pitchers in baseball. deGrom is arguably the best, but all three have been unpredictable lately.
The Mets said before the series began they would start Jacob deGrom in Game 2 if they lost Game 1, so he gets the ball on Saturday against San Diego’s Blake Snell.
Joe Musgrove (10-7, 2.93 ERA)
Chris Bassitt (15-9, 3.42 ERA)
Player Props for Mets vs. Padres
For sports bettors, one of the best ways to have fun with a series is to get into the player props. Here are some of the best odds for player props for the upcoming series.
Francisco Lindor
Lindor is headed for his fifth playoff appearance, but his first with the New York Mets. He helped take Cleveland to the postseason in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020. He’s a key leader on the Mets’ lineup and a strong all-around player. The Mets need him to get on base and bat in runs. And he can do that: He has 107 RBIs this year, 26 homers, and finished the season slashing .270/.339/.449.
Pete Alonso
Alonso is the other big strategic player for the Mets to take a strong series. Both Alonso and Lindor failed to really show up in the series against the Braves. If they can rally, they’re a key scoring force for the New York team. Alonso is going to his first postseason, so we have yet to see how the playoff nerves affect him. But he’s been an incredibly consistent player for the Mets this season with 131 RBIs, 40 home runs, and a slash line of .271/.352/.518.
Mark Canha
Canha is heading into his fourth postseason. His first three were with Oakland. He’s been a great presence for the Mets this season, with 61 RBIs, 13 homers, and a slash line of .266/.367/.403.
Juan Soto
Superstar Soto has been surprisingly uneven since joining the Padres midseason in a trade that was supposed to transform their lineup. But Soto has postseason experience, including a 2019 championship with the Nationals. If he can get hot at the right time, he can carry a series. In the regular season, with the Nationals and then the Padres, Soto had 62 RBIs and 27 homers, slashing at .242/.401./452.
Manny Machado
Machado has been carrying this Padres team and needs to show up for the postseason series. And he likely will. In 2022, he has 102 RBIs, 32 home runs, and ended the regular season slashing at .298/.366./.531.
Elsewhere in the NL Playoffs
After clinching their divisions, the LA Dodgers and Atlanta Braves won the No. 1 and No. 2 seed and a bye straight to the NLDS, which starts Tuesday, Oct. 11.
In the Wild Card Round, we have the No. 4 and No. 5 seeded Mets and Padres in one series. On the other side, the No. 3 St. Louis Cardinals take on the No. 6 Philadelphia Phillies at the Cardinals’ home field. The odds are very close on the Phillies at Cardinals game.
The winner of the Phillies/Cardinals will play the Braves in the NLDS while the winner of the Mets/Padres will face the Dodgers.
If the Mets can make it past both the Padres and the Dodgers, they’ll face the winner of the Braves’ NLDS matchup in the NLCS.
Let’s go Mets!
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
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