Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

New York Mets vs Washington Nationals: A NL East matchup

The Washington Nationals are hosting the New York Mets tonight at Nationals Park in the first game of a four-game series.

The Mets have a solid season

The New York Mets are third in the NL East with a 40-41 record, including 19-16 on the road. They were on a four-game winning streak before losing back-to-back games to the Houston Astros. The Mets have a 4.16 ERA, a .233 batting average, a .322 on-base percentage, and 1.32 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Francisco Lindor leads the team with 82 hits and 53 runs while Pete Alonso is on top with 17 home runs.

The Nationals are struggling lately

The Washington Nationals are fourth in the NL East with a 39-44 record, including 17-19 at home. Have lost 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 5-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Washington has a 3.98 ERA, a .250 batting average, a .322 on-base percentage, and 1.32 walks plus hits per inning pitched. CJ Abrams is the best player on the team, with 85 hits, 50 runs, and 13 home runs for the season.

Betting Trends

The Nationals are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games overall, 1-4 SU in their last 5 home games against the Mets and 6-0 SU in their last 6 games against teams from the NL East. They have played over the total run line in 6 of their last 9 games overall and 5 of their last 6 games against teams from the NL while they have stayed under in the last 5 home games. The Mets are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games overall, 5-1 SU in their last 6 games against the Nationals, 4-1 SU in their last 5 games played in Washington and 8-2 SU in their last 10 games on the road. They have played over the total run line in their last 5 games overall while have played under in 8 of their last 11 games against teams from the NL and 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the NL East.

Prediction and Conclusion

This will be the second series between these two teams in DC in the last month. The Mets won all three games in their previous visit to the nation’s capital, and the last one was 9-1. Tonight, the Mets will go with David Peterson on the mound, who has had an excellent season, being 3-0 so far with a 3.67 ERA, 20 K, 27 IP, and 1.48 WHIP. The Nationals will try to match that up with one of their best pitchers this season, MacKenzie Gore, who is 6-7 with a 3.60 ERA, 99 K, 85 IP, and 1.39 WHIP. Looking at the standings, there is only a two-game gap between the two, but the Mets are a much better team and will continue their winning streak against the Nats in Washington.