For a while there, it looked as though we might not get to see any baseball at all this years, but the league and the players union finally managed to come to an agreement and opening day is now upon us. This will, though, be a very different looking season than what we are used to, and not just because players will be playing in empty stadiums. Instead of the full 162-game slate, we are looking at a condenses 60-game season. That is important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that teams with an eye on the World Series really cannot afford to come out of the gate slowly. Let’s take a closer look at how these teams arrive to this Braves Vs Mets affair so you can make your bets against their MLB odds.
Atlanta Braves at NY Mets Game Info
Get behind the 8-ball in the early going and it is going to be tough to claw those games back. While there are some definite favorites on the board right now, it is going to be interesting to see how the odds change as teams either embrace the new season or fail to adapt. One of those favorites, the Atlanta Braves, will open their season on the road against the New York Mets on Friday afternoon. This will be the first of 10 meetings with the Mets this season.
Why bet on the Atlanta Braves
This is a young Braves team that looks to be on the brink of something very special, but the biggest question hanging over them is whether they can turn their regular season success into playoff wins. The Braves come into this season on the heels of back to back losses in the LDS, which may explain why they went shopping in the offseason. They will be looking for their 3rd straight NL East title, which I believe they will get, but this is not an easy start against a division opponent. Overall, the Braves went 11-8 versus the Mets last season, which included a 5-4 record in the Big Apple. Those games were close, with the average score over the 9 games being 3.9 to 3.4 in favor of the Braves. Mike Soroka, which went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA last season will get the start.
Why bet on NY Mets
The New York Mets finished the 2019 season on a decent run of form, winning 7 of their last 10 games. That was enough to give them an 86-76 record on the season, which left them in 3rd in the NL East, 11 games back of the Braves. One very good sign for the Mets was that they were strong at home, which is something they will be hoping carries over into the opening series in 2020. Overall, they went 48-33 in their own ballpark, although, as we have seen, they have a losing record there versus the Braves. Not that it really means too much, the Mets went 13-8 in the games played in spring training. They will have their ace, Jacob deGrom, on the mound for the opener. He went 11-8 with a 2.43 ERA in 2019.
- When: Friday, July 24 at 4 PM EST
- Where: Citi Field, New York
- Starting Pitchers: Mike Soroka Vs Jacob deGrom
- Braves Vs Mets: ESPN
- Money Lines: Braves +115 / Mets -145
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
It is going to be very tough to handicap games in the very early going of this season, but let’s take a shot at it. I think this one will be close, but I believe that it will be the Braves who edge it.
Pick: Atlanta Braves 3 New York Mets 2
