Monday’s abbreviated MLB schedule includes a game between the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, who are beginning a three-game series. On the road, the Mets are favorites with a -150 moneyline, while the Cards have a moneyline of +130. The game also has an over/under of seven runs.
The Mets have been the class of the big leagues thus far. They have won all five of the series they’ve played thus far and are the first team in baseball to get to 12 wins. That early success has given them a four-game lead atop the NL East.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals begin the new week tied with the Brewers atop the NL Central. St. Louis split a four-game series with the Brew Crew earlier this month but has won every other series this season. That includes four wins in their last six games.
Miles to Go
Miles Mikolas will get the start for St. Louis on Monday, with the Cardinals needing him to step up now that Jack Flaherty is on the IL. Mikolas has been able to deliver thus far, going 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA over his first three starts of the season. In his last start, the righty fired five scoreless innings against the Marlins, giving up just four hits while striking out five.
Of course, Mikolas has only faced two of the weaker offensive teams in the majors, whereas the Mets are averaging 4.8 runs per game. New York’s lineup is as deep as any lineup in the majors, with Francisco Lindor up to his old tricks, batting .313 with an OPS of .971. Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Canha are also batting over .300 during the early part of the season, so there aren’t many easy outs in the lineup.
To The Max
Max Scherzer has come as advertised during his first three starts of the season, as the former Cy Young winner is set to make his fourth start of the season on Monday. Scherzer owns a 2.50 ERA over 18 innings and has earned the win in all three of his starts in 2022. He’s been better every time out, allowing just one run over seven innings against the Giants in his last start while striking out 10.
But the Cardinals aren’t an easy lineup to traverse, especially with Nolan Arenado batting .364 with an OPS of 1.153 early in the season. Tommy Edman and catcher Andrew Knizner are also batting over .300 this season, helping to make up for Dylan Carlson, Harrison Bader, and some other regulars getting off to a slow start. Albert Pujols has also shown that he still has some power left in the tank, allowing St. Louis to make good use of the DH.
Mets/Cardinals Betting Prediction
As mentioned, the Mets have won every series they’ve played this season, so betting against them would be a little foolish. It’s also worth noting that the St. Louis roster is batting a combined .138 against Scherzer, with Edman and Corey Dickerson being the only hitters with much success against him during their careers. He should give the Mets another quality start, setting the stage for New York to take the series opener.
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.