MLB Odds: Mets vs Athletics prediction, pick, how to watch
The New York Mets take on the Oakland Athletics. Our MLB odds series has our Mets Athletics prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Mets Athletics.
The New York Mets have begun the 2023 MLB season without two very important pieces, one of which will be out for the whole year. That piece is closer Edwin Diaz, whose non-contact injury left a gaping hole in the back end of the bullpen and significantly reduced this team’s chances of being able to compete for the National League pennant and the World Series championship. The other high-end piece missing from the roster is Justin Verlander, who helped the Houston Astros win the 2022 World Series. Verlander should be able to take the mound later this spring, but in the meantime, the Mets are shorthanded and have to figure out how to win ballgames without the full roster they hoped to field.
If the Mets are going to make a run at the National League East Division title, they have to load up on wins against bad teams such as the Oakland A’s. Remember that in 2023, Major League Baseball has moved away from the 19-team imbalanced schedule in which teams play in-division opponents 19 times. Teams are playing more non-division games than before. The bad news for the Mets is that they don’t get to play the Nationals or Marlins 19 times, but the good news is that they don’t have to play the Braves 19 times. A weekend sweep in Oakland is exactly how the Mets can stay in the hunt for the long haul. It’s an important series for New York.
Here are the Mets-Athletics MLB odds,
MLB Odds: Mets-Athletics Odds
New York Mets: -1.5 (-134)
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (+112)
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
How To Watch Mets vs. Athletics
TV: SNY (Mets) / NBC Sports California (A’s) / MLB Extra Innings
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/9:40 p.m. PT
*Watch Mets-Athletics LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Mets Could Cover The Spread
The Mets are far better than the A’s, and no one needs to overthink that particular point. It is self-evident that the Mets have better ballplayers and better pitchers than Oakland. The A’s do not have deep, high-end pitching. They just gave up a boatload of runs to the Baltimore Orioles in one of the highest-scoring series of the young baseball season. At least 12 runs were scored in the last three games of that four-game series. The last two games of the series produced 15 or more runs. The Mets, who have already faced the starting pitching of two National League contenders — the Brewers and Padres — should be able to feast on Oakland pitching and score a lot of runs, even though the A’s have a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
The A’s have lost a lot of games, but they have been competitive nonetheless. They lost 8-7 to the Orioles on Thursday on a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth. They scored eight runs against Baltimore in two other games from that series, splitting the two contests. Their offense performed well against the Orioles, showing that it is a lot more capable of delivering consistent production than some analysts thought was possible at the start of the season. The A’s are facing Japanese League veteran Kodai Senga in this game. The Mets’ starter has been solid, but if you look at each of his first two starts this year, you will notice he has gotten into jams in the early innings and has worked out of them. If the A’s get Senga in trouble, they could turn the tide with one big hit. Senga has not dominated. Oakland just needs a timely blast if there are runners on base.
Final Mets-Athletics Prediction & Pick
The A’s have not looked like a pushover, but their pitching is undeniably weak. The Mets are bound to get some big hits over the course of nine innings and win, even if Senga is not sharp.
Final Mets-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Mets -1.5
