The NL East figured to be one of the more competitive divisions in all of baseball heading into the 2021 MLB betting season. Through nearly three weeks of play, it’s lived up to expectations with all five of the division’s members currently in the mix for bragging rights. The New York Mets currently sit atop the heap sitting a lone game over .500, while the Washington Nationals bring up the rear playing two games below the breakeven point. This series marks the first for the Nats against divisional opposition since opening the year dropping two of three at home to the Atlanta Braves. The Mets have already logged five wins in divisional play after taking four of six from the Philadelphia Phillies and splitting a pair with the Miami Marlins. New York took six of the 10 meetings from the Nationals last season with the over cashing in at online sportsbooks in seven of those matchups. Marcus Stroman will square off against Joe Ross in the meat of this three-game set looking to log a win for the fourth straight time.
First pitch for the game between the Washington Nationals and New York Mets is scheduled for Saturday, April 24, 2021, at 4:05 p.m. ET from Citi Field. The matchup will air live on FS1. Bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
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Odds Analysis
A bulk of Washington’s games to this point has come in the comforts of Nationals Park. Dave Martinez’s squad hasn’t stepped into an opposing ball park since April 14 when it logged a 6-0 shutout win at St. Louis to take two of three from the Cardinals. The triumphs represent the team’s only two road wins after getting swept by the Dodgers in LA the previous series. In all, the Nats check in 2-4 as visitors with a -$162 return on investment and have been shut out three times this season. The Mets will return home from a six-game road trip that saw it take two of three from the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field and then drop the first two against the Cubs. COVID and bad weather has really prevented Luis Rojas’s troops from getting into any sort of rhythm. The teams partaken in a total of 13 games. Everyone else in the division has played at least 16. Even so, NY just fell into the red for the season on Wednesday night after failing to come through as near -130 favs; not bad! Not great, but not bad.
Probable Pitchers
Joe Ross: The righty went into his last start in St. Louis in a solid groove. He didn’t concede a single run through his first two starts against the Dodgers and Cardinals, but a rematch against that same St. Louis offense would prove to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Ross would go on to get lit up over the course of his 4.1 innings after allowing 8 hits (4 HR) and 10 ER. Because of it, his ERA shot up to 5.87, WHIP to 1.30 and BAA up to .255. More issues could be in store on Saturday running up against a Mets team that’s crushed him to the tune of a 5.73 ERA and .444 BAA through eight career starts and just under 49 innings of work. Ross has been a bit more economical at Citi Field where he’s only allowed 14 hits (4 HR) through 14.2 innings. Michael Conforto has had some serious success against his stuff (1.269 OPS in 13 AB).
Marcus Stroman: Now in his first full season in Queens, Stroman has talked the talk but more importantly walked the walk after sitting last season out. The veteran soft-tosser has conceded just 11 hits (1 HR) and 2 ER while racking up 11 Ks and only issuing three free passes through his 20.1 total innings over three starts. He’s logged the win in every start made not cut short by Mother Nature. With that, he’s proven to be the perfect complement to Jacob deGrom atop New York’s starting rotation; at least for now. He’ll enter official start No. 4 fresh off tossing eight innings of 1 ER ball in Coors Field to go along with 5 Ks and only three hits allowed. His cutter, sinker and splitter had the Rockies’ bats guessing all game long. The righty is in a major groove right now which makes him an auto play to back until he shows otherwise.
Nationals vs. Mets Prediction
So long as the Mets offense gives deGrom some offensive support in the series opener, New York should enter this matchup owning the series lead. That’s a big if however considering how New York’s bats always seem to fail to show whenever its Cy Young contender takes the bump. Regardless, I’m absolutely loving what Stroman has brought to the table to start the season. He looks to be 100 percent locked into the task at hand as he attempts to live up to the team signing him to a near $19M dollar contract in the offseason. Ross is nothing but cannon fodder for opposing offenses to pepper unmercifully. That’s exactly what the Mets have done to him over the course of his career. Look for Stroman to shine once again and for Pete Alonso and company to hang a crooked number on the board that cashes both moneyline and run-line bets for Mets’ backers.
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