Mets vs. Pirates Prediction
Will Pirates’ ace Gerrit Cole shut down the Mets tonight when the two teams clash at 7:15PM ET?
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetDSI, the Pirates are -135 money line favorites versus the Mets, who have odds of +125 to pull off the upset in Pittsburgh. With Cole set to face Zack Wheeler in the pitching matchup, the over/under currently sits at 8 runs.
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From Rotoworld: Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Saturday that the club will “constantly re-evaluate” the workload limit for Wheeler. The Mets floated the idea of a 125-inning limit for Wheeler back in February after he missed essentially two full years with elbow issues, but they surely didn’t foresee at that point him becoming such an integral part of their rotation in 2017. “What we try to do is establish a target, and then we constantly re-evaluate,” Alderson said. “And that’s what we’ll do in his case.” Wheeler has had issues with his control, but he boasts a 2.67 ERA with 32 strikeouts over his last 33 2/3 innings. He’s currently on pace to throw 170 1/3 frames, so the Mets figure to eventually take steps to pull back on his workload, whether it be with skipped starts or simply pushing him back when they can.
Cole was lit up for five earned runs over 4 2/3 innings Monday in a loss to the Braves. Cole didn’t have it in this one, registering just two strikeouts while surrendering a walk and 10 hits, including two home runs. The right-hander watched his ERA jump from 2.84 to 3.36, and he now stands 2-5 on a last-place Pirates team with an overall record of 20-25. Cole, a potential trade candidate this summer, will get the Mets at home next.
Bet Today’s Mets vs. Pirates Game
OUR PREDICTION: The Mets are just 4-10 in their last 14 games overall, are 1-6 in their last seven road games, and are 2-7 in Wheeler’s last nine outings after scoring five runs or more in their previous game. The Pirates, meanwhile, are 5-1 in their last six games after allowing five runs or more in their previous game, have won four of their last five games following a loss, and are 62-30 in their last 92 home games versus an opponent with a losing record.
SATURDAY MLB PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PIRATES -135