Mets at Astros Pick
Can the New York Mets knock off the host Houston Astros in the opener of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon? Game time is 2:10PM EST.
The Astros are a -220 favorite to win on the moneyline according to sports book Bovada.lv. The Mets are a +190 underdog, while the over-under is 8.5.
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Matt Harvey (4-3, 5.25 ERA) will start for the Mets, while the Astros counter with Charlie Morton (10-6, 3.88). Harvey will make his first MLB start since June 14. Prior to injury, he posted a 1.45 WHIP with 54 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings. New York won three of his last five starts. Morton has a 1.22 WHIP with 130 strikeouts over 118 1/3 innings. He allowed three earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and a walk over five innings in a 7-5 win at the Angels his last start.
New York enters with a 58-75 record and 30-36 on the road, while Houston is 80-53 and 38-31 at home. This is the first meeting between the two franchises since 2014, when the Mets won two out of three games in New York.
The Mets lost two out of three at the Reds including Thursday’s 7-2 defeat. Jose Reyes doubled and scored two runs, while Asdrubal Cabrera and Brandon Nimmo each had an RBI single. Jacob deGrom allowed four runs (three earned) over six innings to take the loss. Houston returns home after playing its last series versus Texas in Tampa Bay due to the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. The Astros lost the first two games to the Rangers, but rebounded to win Thursday’s finale 5-1. Chris Devenski threw 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief to earn the win. Jose Altuve went 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored, while Alex Bregman was also 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Derek Fisher contributed a pinch-hit two-run single. J.D. Davis added two hits.
Houston will be emotionally charged with its return home for this doubleheader, particularly game one. Morton has been good all year, having added velocity and increasing his strikeout rate since last year. New York has a lineup that is easy to navigate through right now, while Harvey doesn’t have enough in the tank to deal with a potent Astros offense.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: HOUSTON ASTROS -220