The NL East looks to be one of the more heavily contested divisions in all of baseball with the New York Mets +164 and Atlanta Braves +112 expected to rule the roost. But don’t sell either the Philadelphia Phillies +942 or Washington Nationals +683 short! The first game of this scheduled three game set should be a good one with Jacob deGrom set to square off against Max Scherzer in a battle of recent Cy Young Award winners. Online sportsbooks are likely to have the visiting team installed favorites as it looks to exact revenge for dropping six of 10 matchups against its division rival a season ago. Four of those 10 wins were accrued at home where the Mets have only come out victorious four of the last 10 times.
First pitch for the NL East tilt between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals is scheduled for Thursday, April 1, 2021, at 7:09 p.m. ET from Nationals Park. The matchup will air live on ESPN. Bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
MLB Betting Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
A year removed from winning its first-ever World Series title, the Nationals went on to post a 26-34 overall record which cost its wagering supporters upwards of $330 for the season. It logged identical 13-17 records both at home and on the road. The Mets were the biggest money burners in all of baseball in 2020 even though it produced an identical 26-34 record as tonight’s opponent. When it was all said and done, New York cost MLB bettors nearly $1,250 of their hard-earned money over the course of the regular season. They too posted identical 13-17 records both on the road and at home. That said, the bullpen was the main reason why and it’s been dramatically improved with the additions of Trevor May and Dellin Betances.
Probable Pitchers
Jacob deGrom: Like a fine wine, deGrom only gets better with age. The soon to be 33-year old was once again light’s out in 2020 pitching to a 2.38 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and .190 BAA. But due to his bullpen being an absolute sieve, he was only able to muster a pathetic 4-2 overall record. Though his home/away splits were much different, they were still dominant. So too was his ability to stymy opposing offenses under the lights with him logging a 0.94 WHIP and .186 BAA through 45 innings over eight starts. He’s 8-4 with a 2.61 ERA and .372 BAA over 20 lifetime starts against the Nats, and stands an even more dominant 7-1 with a 2.80 ERA over 11 career starts at Nationals Park.
Max Scherzer: The days of “Mad Max” carving up opposing offenses like they were Swiss cheese looks to have run its course. Since winning the Cy Young Award back in 2017, the righty has been a bit more hittable. That was highly evidenced last season when he surrendered 70 hits and 10 home runs throughout his 67.1 total innings of work. Though the overall body of work amounted to a 5-4 record and 3.74 ERA, his .260 BAA was the highest allowed since way back in 2011 when he was still breaking into the league. That said, he still continued to flourish against the Mets through three starts in amassing a 2-0 record and 3.46 ERA through 13 total innings.
Mets vs. Nationals Prediction
As loaded each of these offenses look to be on paper, I’m thinking the opening game of this series will belong to both pitching staffs. deGrom is likely to have his way with a Nationals team he routinely dominates, and the same should hold true for Scherzer with the adrenaline pumping right out of the gates. Cashing a bet in on the under will ultimately come down to both bullpens, and I firmly expect each to rise to the occasion. New York has plenty to show its fans and betting backers with its new-look pen, while Washington also looks to be improved in that department as well. This should be a pitcher’s duel right from the outset. Should there be a lead late, I expect either pen to hold it – under she goes!
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