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MLB Betting Odds: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets

Written by Jimmy Boyd

phillies-mets-5509 It’s been the Phillies and the Mets battling it out for the National League East title the past two seasons with the Phillies edging out the Mets each time. The two division rivals kick off Game 1 of a two-game set on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball in the Big Apple tomorrow night and I’m here to break down the Game 1 matchup. The two teams just met May 1st and 2nd in Philadelphia, splitting the series, so we can expect another heated battle. Baseball odds makers have given New York the big edge in Game 1, listing the Mets as the -218 favorite with the total set at 8.

The Mets send ace southpaw Johan Santana to the mound in Game 1 and that’s why you see them as such a heavy favorite. Santana has been one of the few bright spots for the sub .500 Mets this season, bringing in a 3-1 record with a 1.10 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. Santana proved to be worth his large pay check in his first season with the Mets, going 16-7 with a 2.53 ERA, which was the lowest of his career. Overall, the Mets are 16-5 in Santana’s last 21 starts, 8-2 in his last 10 home starts, and 5-1 in his last 6 Game 1 series starts. The Mets are hoping they can pull off a sweep over the reigning World Series champs to start getting this ship sailing in the right direction, but if they are going to do so, the bats are going to have to start coming around. Third baseman David Wright has struggled at the plate in the early going, with only two homeruns and a slugging percentage well below his career average. The big thing that sticks out to me is that he has already struck out 28 times, which is the most on the team by quite a few. If you think New York is worth the juice, bet the Mets at -218 Wednesday night.

Like the Mets, the Phillies have not gotten off to the start many expected from them. Surprisingly, the reigning World Series champs have played their best ball on the road this year, where they own a 7-2 record. There seems to be some value for the Phillies with this MLB betting line considering how strong they have been away from home. The Phillies send right hander Chan Ho Park to the mound to face off against the Mets’ ace. Park is 0-1 in four starts with an ERA of 8.57. It was actually the Mets who handed him his sole defeat of the season. It will be up to Park to make the necessary adjustment this time around to give his team a chance. Park does figure to have run support on his side as Chase Utley, Raul Ibanez, and Ryan Howard are all off to strong starts. The three have combined for 21 homeruns and 61 RBIs. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins is a guy the Phillies need to get going though. He is hitting just .200 with an on base percentage of only .274. If you think Philadelphia is showing enough value to gain your support, back the Phillies +200 Wednesday night.

Make sure you consult Jimmy Boyd’s MLB picks each day to see who the 2007 MLB World Handicapping Champion is taking.

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