Mets vs. Reds Pick
Who will win the rubber game of the series when the New York Mets play the host Cincinnati Reds Thursday afternoon? First pitch is at 12:35PM EST.
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Mets are a -127 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Reds are an +107 underdog, while the over-under is 9.
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Jacob deGrom (14-7, 3.39 ERA) will start for the Mets, while Robert Stephenson (2-4, 5.81) starts for the Reds. deGrom has a WHIP of 1.16 with 201 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings. He allowed one earned run on five hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk over 7 2/3 innings in a 4-2 win at the Nationals. Stephenson has a 1.75 WHIP in 19 appearances (five starts). He has 55 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. In his last start, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts and four walks over 5 2/3 innings in a 9-5 home win over the Pirates.
New York is 58-74 overall and 30-35 on the road, while the Reds are 56-77 and 32-36. The season series is now split at 1-1 after the Mets won 2-0 in Wednesday night’s game. The over-under is also 1-1.
Rafael Montero took a one-hitter into the ninth inning, finishing with a three-hitter over 8 1/3 innings as he allowed three hits while striking out eight and walking four. Jose Reyes and Wilmer Flores each had a double and scored a run, while Flores also drove in one. Kevin Plawecki added a double and an RBI. A.J. Ramos picked up his 26th save. Homer Bailey was saddled with the loss as he gave up two earned runs over six innings.
While deGrom might be the better pitcher in this game, but Stephenson has been hyped for quite some time and seems to be coming into his own. The Reds have a better offense in this game and it could be the difference in a hitter’s ballpark, especially trying to rebound after being one-hit by Montero.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: CINCINNATI REDS +107