Mets vs Nationals Odds, Picks, and Betting LInes (Sep. 5)
- After splitting Saturday’s doubleheader, Mets can earn crucial series win over Nats in Sunday’s fourth of five games
- New York is currently four games back in the wild-card race, while Washington is dead last in the NL East
- Read on for a preview, full odds and a best bet for this divisional matchup
The New York Mets (68-68, 27-41 away) visit the Washington Nationals (56-79, 32-38 home) for the fourth meeting of a five-game set on Sunday, September 5th, with the Mets having already wrapped up the season series against their rivals, ahead 10-7 with two games to play. A win would also allow keep New York firmly in the race for the second NL wild card, with the team currently four games back of Cincinnati.
The portents look good for New York to beat its division rival for the seventh time in nine games on Sunday, with the Amazins sending Taijuan Walker (7-9, 3.89 ERA) to the mound for the 1:05 p.m. ET start. The Nats are going with righty Josiah Gray, who faces the Mets for the very first time, still looking for his first major-league win heading into his eighth start.
Mets vs Nationals Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Mets | -155 | -1.5 (+105) | Over 8.5 (-115) |
| Washington Nationals | +135 | +1.5 (-125) | Under 8.5 (-105) |
Odds as of September 4th at DraftKings
Probable Pitchers
On the positive side for Mets fans, right-hander Walker has a history with the Washington Nationals, going a respectable 1-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three career starts. On a less positive note has been his record at Nationals Park, where he has gone 0-1 with seven earned runs in 11 career innings there.
Different umps have different zones. Sorry, @tai_walker. pic.twitter.com/USGxkN8G8c
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 31, 2021
The Nationals have seen Walker twice this year alone, and have witnessed both the good and the bad. At home in Queens back in April, Walker recorded the win, giving up just three hits in seven innings. The return match in Washington two months later was less memorable for those in blue, with him surrendering 10 hits and four earned runs in 6.1 innings.
Walker vs Gray Stats
| 7-9 | Record | 0-2 |
| 3.89 | ERA | 4.73 |
| 134.1 | Innings Pitched | 40 |
| 123 | SO | 46 |
| 46 | BB | 16 |
Already on his second team of the season having been traded by the Dodgers in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner deal, Gray still awaits that breakthrough win in the big leagues. The rookie only has two decisions against his name, and while he has the element of surprise in his first outing against the Mets, he is coming in off the worst outing of his short MLB tenure.
Josiah Gray has a solid bounce back inning in the 4th pic.twitter.com/5zDuYHKs2w
— Kev (@OnePursuitTakes) August 31, 2021
On August 30th, Gray gave up six runs and seven hits in four innings at home against the Phillies, tying his shortest game of the season.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Washington Batters | Batting Average vs Taijuan Walker |
|---|---|
| Alex Avila | .667 |
| Josh Bell | .250 |
| Alcides Escobar | .600 |
| Yadiel Hernandez | 1.000 |
| Gerardo Parra | .500 |
| Keibert Ruiz | .333 |
| Juan Soto | .333 |
| Ryan Zimmerman | .333 |
After winning the season series in 2018 and 2019, before losing it in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, the Mets have once again regained their superiority in this series courtesy of Saturday’s wild 11-9 win in Game 1 of the doubleheader, where New York gave up a 9-0 lead before winning the game with a Francisco Lindor home run.
Six of Francisco Lindor’s 12 home runs this season have either tied the game or put the #Mets ahead.@Metsmerized #LGM
— Mathew Brownstein (@MBrownstein89) September 4, 2021
That was New York’s 10th win in the season series, although it was just the team’s second win in Washington this season, with that mark now at 2-5.
Game 2 of the doubleheader saw the Nats snap the Mets’ seven-game winning streak – tied for a season high – with a narrow 4-3 decision. But there’s no doubt the Mets are playing some of their best baseball at the time they need it the most, and that should continue here.
Mets vs Nationals Prediction
Even though New York’s win streak was brought to a juddering halt on Saturday, the team is still rolling of late, outscoring the opposition 44-27 during that streak. And that offense should be more than enough to back Taijuan Walker’s outing on Sunday, where he should be counted upon to record his eighth victory of the season.
Best bet: Mets -1.5 (+105)
For the last 20 years, Paul Attfield has worked in sports media. Starting out in his native Britain with the likes of The Independent, he eventually switched continents, with his work appearing in the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Yahoo Sports since.
