The New York Mets and Houston Astros lock horns for the first time since 2017. They open a two-game interleague series at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, so here’s the best Mets vs. Astros betting pick.
According to Caesars NY Sportsbook, the Astros are -135 home favorites for Tuesday night’s battle. The Mets sit at +115 moneyline odds, while the totals are listed at 9.0 runs.Â
The Mets boast the best record in the National League                                   Â
The New York Mets blanked the Miami Marlins 6-0 on Monday afternoon, clinching a four-game home series. It was their fourth victory in the last five games, and the Mets improved their NL-best record to 45-24 for the season.
New York is still missing both Max Scherzer (oblique) and Jacob deGrom (shoulder). Tylor Megill landed on the IL last Friday with a shoulder strain, so the Mets will probably go with their bullpen Tuesday against the Astros.
The Mets’ relievers tossed 19.1 frames across seven games last week, tallying a 4.66 ERA, 2.25 FIP, and .400 BABIP while striking out a whopping 14 batters per nine frames. On the other side of the ball, New York has accounted for 32 runs on an underwhelming .229/.321/.349 slash line in that seven-game stretch.
The Astros shoot for their third straight series WÂ Â Â Â
The Houston Astros clinched a three-game home set against the Chicago White Sox with a 4-3 victory this past Sunday. It was their second consecutive series win, and the Astros improved to 41-25 on the season.
Houston was comfortably topping the AL West on Monday, nine and a half games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels and ten above the Texas Rangers. The Astros won four of their last five games, scoring 30 runs on a .230/.311/.453 triple-slash and posting a 2.72 ERA and 1.02 WHIP on the pitching side of things.
Jose Urquidy will get the ball Tuesday. The 27-year-old righty is 5-3 with a pedestrian 4.99 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in 12 starts (61.1 innings) this season. Last Tuesday, he allowed three earned runs on five hits across six frames of work in a 4-3 victory at Texas but didn’t factor into the decision.
Trends:
NY Mets:
- 0-6 in the last six road games against Houston
Houston:
- 4-1 in the last five games overall
New York Mets vs. Houston Astros Pick
The Mets hope their bullpen will give them a chance against the Astros. On the other side, it’s hard to trust Jose Urquidy, but Houston’s bullpen was terrific last week, posting a 2.21 ERA, 1.56 FIP, and 11.1 K/9 across 20.1 innings.
I’m going with the Astros to win because of their bullpen. Both teams have plenty of dangerous weapons at the plate but neither is swinging a hot bat at the moment. If Jose Urquidy gives five solid innings to the Astros, they’ll be in a strong position down the stretch.
Pick: Take Houston Astros at -135
The Total:
The totals seem a tricky wager. Jose Urquidy has allowed three or more earned runs in five of his last six starts, but the Astros’ bullpen sports a 3.18 ERA, 2.82 FIP, and 0.35 HR/9 in June. On the other side, the Mets’ bullpen will have to deal with the dangerous Astros lineup all night long.
The nine-run line is a tricky one, too. I lean toward the over, looking for both teams to score a few runs through the first five innings. Houston to win remains my best Mets vs. Astros betting pick.
Pick: Go over 9.0 runs at -120
