The Amazin's are back at it again. The New York Mets opened up Game 2 of the NLCS with a chance to put a real stamp on this series, and they scored three times in the opening frame to take the life out of the Chicago Cubs. Now, they've got an incredibly favorable pitching matchup in Game 3 and legitimately could have a chance to win this series without having to go back home.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The opening price on New York Mets in this game isn't surprising with Jacob deGrom on the hill. The Mets are favored by a -130 margin in a game the Cubbies absolutely have to win if they want to keep their "Back to the Future" World Series dreams alive.
PITCHING MATCHUP
deGrom didn't have his best stuff in Game 5 against the Dodgers, but he battled through it all and came out a winner. In that series, he allowed just 11 hits and two runs in 13 innings, but most importantly, he struck out 20.
The Cubs have been striking out a ton in this series, and it wouldn't be shocking to see deGrom get to double digits in K's.
Joe Maddon knows what he's doing with Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, but to think that those two men were both beaten has to be disheartening. What's next? There's a huge drop off to Kyle Hendricks, who will get the ball on Tuesday.
The leash will surely be short for Hendricks, especially after he allowed three runs – all on solo homers – in 4.2 innings against the Cardinals.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We really started hunting pitches in the middle of the plate in. So that was the biggest thing that we did. I started getting a little more aggressive." – Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, who now has four consecutive games with a home run here in the postseason
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Maddon has no choice but to try to win this game, and there's already been talk of letting Lester pitch in relief if need be.
Cubs’ relievers haven't been the problem, though. Trevor Cahill, Pedro Strop, Clayton Richard and Justin Grimm have all been good, and though Hector Rondon has a 6.00 ERA, he has nailed down both of his save chances.
PROP TALK
The legend of Murphy continues. He blasted yet another home run on Sunday night, and it got so bad that Maddon elected to intentionally walk him to get to Yoenis Cespedes in the fourth inning of a game which could've gotten out of hand in a hurry. Would you want to bet against him right now? We know we wouldn't.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Cubs had their chance in New York. No, it's not the end of the world to lose two road games, knowing that there are three games to be played here at Wrigley Field, but asking Chicago to beat at least two out of the three of deGrom, Steven Matz and Matt Harvey is just too much.
The curse of the Billy Goat is going to live on for at least one more year, and New York is going to make sure of it.
Look for deGrom to go seven or eight strong frames once again, proving that he is the ace of this staff for years to come.
New York 4, Chicago 2
The MLB lines for this Tuesday contest were first released by BookMaker Sportsbook. The Mets opened up as -130 favorites. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the New York Mets versus the Chicago Cubs will commence at 8:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at Wrigley Field. The matchup will be televised live on TBS.
