It’s never fun to lose a game, but it becomes even less so when those losses have an impact on a team’s attempt to make it into the postseason. It can be a frustrating thing to be on the outside looking in at the playoff picture at this late stage of the season, as every loss from this point forward can pull a team just5 a little bit further away from their goal. Of course, none of that matters to the teams who are vying for the worst record in the league, as they have simply become accustomed to losing on most nights.

Still, it is very often those bottom-dwelling teams who rise up to throw a spanner in the works of opponents chasing a postseason spot. That is what the Kansas City Royals will be looking to do when they host the New York Mets in a 3-game series this weekend. The Royals are long since out of the running, while the Mets are hanging in there. The Mets hot the road for this interleague series favored by 1 ½, with the run total set at 9 ½.

Mets vs Royals MLB Betting Lines, Game Info & Prediction

• When: Friday, August 16 at 8:15 PM EST
• Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
• Starting Pitchers: Syndergaard vs. Montgomery
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Radio: SiriusXM
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• MLB Betting Lines: New York Mets -185 (Total 9.5)

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Weather Forecast

• Mostly Cloudy: 29°C/84°F
• Humidity: 68%
• Precipitation: 24%
• Cloud Cover: 74%
• Wind: 7 mph ESE
• Stadium Type: Open

Why bet on the New York Mets?

You have to give credit to the Mets for hauling themselves out of an untenable spot to get back into the playoff picture in the National League. That said, they did little to help their cause in their last series, losing 2 of 3 to the Atlanta Braves, one of the teams that they are trying to run down. At this late stage of the season, the Mets winning the East looks like a longshot at best, with the Wild Card being where they need to seriously turn their attention.

They are still very much alive and well in that race, sitting just 2 games out of the final spot and going into a series against one of the worst teams in the league. The road has not been kind to the Mets, who are 28-38 away from home. On the bright side, the Mets are a healthy 10-4 in interleague play. They will have Noah Syndergaard (8-5, 3.89 ERA) on the mound to start.

Team Stats

• Runs: 4.80
• Hits: 8.83
• Walks: 3.16
• Strike Outs: 8.78

• Runs: 4.73
• Hits: 8.82
• Walks: 3.24
• Strike Outs: 9.23

Why bet on the Kansas City Royals?

One of the things that we are tasked with doing when putting together these previews is to find solid reasons for betting on each team. When you are talking about a team that is just 43-78 on the season, finding those reasons is a little tough. Home field advantage has not been a factor for the Royals, who are 23-37 in their own ballpark, and they have done little of late to suggest that they might be up for a fight, going 3-7 in their last 10 games.

They have little to show for their forays in interleague play, going 5-7 versus the National League, although that win percentage is better than overall. As a home dog, they are 20-22 ATS. The Royals will have Mike Montgomery (1-3, 4.63 ERA) starting this one.

Team Stats

• Runs: 4.31
• Hits: 8.30
• Walks: 2.84
• Strike Outs: 8.44

• Runs: 5.19
• Hits: 9.26
• Walks: 3.53
• Strike Outs: 7.70

Brewers vs Nationals MLB Lines & Game Preview

Mets vs Royals MLB Betting Trends

• Mets are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
• The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets’ last 6 games on the road
• Royals are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games at home
• The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City’s last 7 games this season
• Royals are 38-102 against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons
• Syndergaard is 3-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.167
• Montgomery is 0-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 0.909

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Mets vs Royals

The Mets need a bounce-back series after a disappointing 3-game set against the Braves, and this might just be the match-up that gets them back on track. I have the Mets winning this one comfortably.

Score: New York Mets 7 – Kansas City Royals 3