Mets’ NL Pennant Odds Jump from +6000 to +1900 in One Week
- The New York Mets saw their average National League Pennant odds drop from +1600 to +900 in the span of a week
- They’ve won 14 of their last 15 games
- They are still eight games off the pace in the NL East Division but just a half game out of a wildcard spot
Not so long ago, thoughts of the New York Mets and the National League Pennant went together about as well as peanut butter and ketchup.
On July 12, the 41-50 Mets were a season-worst 11 games below .500. They’d lost 11 of their last 14 games. Two days later, they fell to a season-high 14.5 games out of first place in the NL East Division.
All of a sudden, the Mets caught fire. They’ve won 14 of 15 and moved to within a half game of the second NL Wild Card playoff position.
In the process across a number of leading sportsbooks, the club has seen their average NL Pennant odds reduced from +1600 to +900 over the course of a week’s time.
2019 National League Pennant Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | EVEN |
| Atlanta Braves | +425 |
| Chicago Cubs | +700 |
| Washington Nationals | +1000 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | +1200 |
| New York Mets | +1400 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | +1400 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +1900 |
| Cincinnati Reds | +4000 |
| San Francisco Giants | +4000 |
*Odds taken on 08/10/19.
The Mets most recently qualified for postseason play in 2016 as an NL Wild Card team.
Amazing Mets
Friday’s 7-6 win over the Washington Nationals was a prime example of how it’s all been falling into place lately for the Mets.
Trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the ninth, they lit up Nationals closer Sean Doolittle. Todd Frazier tied the score, clouting a three-run homer. Michael Conforto completed the comeback, knocking a two-out, RBI single for the walkoff win. The Mets were 0-7 in their previous seven walkoff decisions.
On A Roll
The rally enabled New York to put together its second seven-game win streak in the past 15 games. It’s the first 14-1 stretch by the Mets since 1990.
"That was a playoff atmosphere…The second I walked out there, that crowd brought it."@MStrooo6 describes the scene at @CitiField. pic.twitter.com/CQMZziOD4i
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 10, 2019
Even with their hot streak, they’ve only been able to reduce the Atlanta Braves’ lead atop the NL East to eight games. If the playoffs are to be reached by the Mets, it will be as a Wild Card team.
Through games of July 24, the Mets were 46-55. They sat eight games out of the second National League Wild Card spot. Today, they are within a half game of a playoff position.
Revisiting 1969?
In 1969, New York rallied from a 10-game deficit to win the NL East. Like this year’s team, they’d posted losing seasons in each of the two previous campaigns.
The 1969 Mets went on to beat the Braves for the NL Pennant and defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series.
Is Mets’ NL Pennant Drive All A Mirage?
There were puzzled looks at the July 31 MLB trade deadline when the Mets held on to pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler and dealt with the Toronto Blue Jays to add Marcus Stroman to an already stout starting rotation.
2019 National League Wild Card Contenders
| Team | Home | Away | Runs Scored | Runs Allowed | Above-.500 Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Nationals | 31-25 | 30-29 | 574 | 529 | 28-36 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 34-24 | 27-32 | 563 | 583 | 35-28 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 32-23 | 27-32 | 504 | 492 | 30-35 |
| New York Mets | 33-20 | 27-36 | 561 | 547 | 29-40 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 34-26 | 26-30 | 550 | 578 | 35-37 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 27-28 | 32-29 | 603 | 526 | 32-31 |
During their winning streak, the Mets made hay against baseball’s bottom feeders. They went 12-1 against a combination of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
New York is a dismal 29-40 against above-.500 clubs, the worst mark among NL teams with winning records. They’re 17-21 against teams currently holding NL playoff spots.
The Mets could be an NL Wild Card team but that’s as good as it’ll get. Looking to bet an NL East team to win the NL Pennant? Play the Braves.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
