The New York Mets defeated the San Diego Padres in Game 2 of their Wild Card Series, setting up a sports betting event for Sunday when they meet in Game 3.
The Mets avoided elimination and will host the Padres in the deciding game of the MLB Playoffs opening round. New York triumphed 7-3 on Saturday.
Caesars Sportsbook has the Padres at +115 and the Mets favored slightly to win Game 3, at -135 in early odds for Sunday’s game. FanDuel, which has a $1,000 Risk-Free First Bet promo, offers slightly better odds on San Diego (+116).
Odds for the Mets to win the World Series are now at +1200 from FanDuel, and +2400 on the Padres, who will need to win a deciding Game 3 on the road. Those are the longest odds you’ll find on either team to win the 2022 Fall Classic.
The winner of Game 3 on Sunday at Citi Field will advance to face the No. 1 seed in the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the favorites to win the World Series (ranging from +270 at FanDuel to +350 at DraftKings).
Padres vs Mets Game 3 Odds
Here are current Game 2 lines from various legal US sportsbooks.
Mets and Padres Reach for Third Starters to Win Game 3
The first two games of this series are a story of starting pitching. In Game 1, the Padres got a brilliant performance from Yu Darvish and destroyed the usually dependable Max Scherzer with four home runs. In Game 2, Jacob deGrom picked up his team with a stellar outing, and even though he lost the lead twice, he held it the final time, and the Mets tied this series.
Game 3 rests on the shoulders of “No. 3” starters Joe Musgrove and Chris Bassitt. More on them below, but another narrative will undoubtedly be the stamina of Edwin Díaz, the Mets closer. In Game 2, manager Buck Showalter used his ace reliever in the seventh inning, desperate to hold onto a one-run lead. Díaz threw 28 pitches and got five outs. He will be available for Game 3, but the choice to use him after a 40+ minute wait in the dugout after the Mets scored four runs in the seventh, is being questioned. It’s especially noteworthy that Showalter decided to use his closer so early in the game, considering his legacy is bound to be tied to his refusal to use Zack Britton in the 2016 AL Wild Card Game when he was managing Baltimore because it wasn’t a save situation. The Orioles lost that game, and if the Mets lose this series because Buck did something silly with his bullpen again, It will just add to the belief that Showalter overmanages.
Members of the New York Mets celebrate their victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 2 of their wild card series on Oct. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Padres vs. Mets Game 3 Pitching Matchup
Joe Musgrove (10-7, 2.93 ERA) vs. Chris Bassitt (15-9, 3.42 ERA)
After the All-Star break, in July, Musgrove made a start against the Mets, allowing four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. In that game, which San Diego lost, Musgrove allowed a home run to Pete Alonso. On Sunday he gets a chance to avenge that loss. Since Sept. 1, Musgrove has pitched to the tune of a 2.56 ERA, but there remains something of concern: the Padres righty has been victimized by homers of late (six in his last 31 2/3 IP).
While Scherzer and deGrom rightfully get the attention for their dazzling stuff and Hall of Fame caliber pedigrees, Chris Bassitt has been the stalwart for the Mets rotation. He made 30 starts, only four fewer than Mad Max and the deGrominator made combined. Bassitt had one terrible start against San Diego this season, and one shining start. New York will be happy if the righthander can get his sinker to fall into the bottom of the strike zone, and one of his secondary pitches (slider or cut fastball) to baffle the Padres.
Also read: World Series Odds Reset | AL Division Series, Yankees vs. Guardians
Padres vs. Mets Series Game 3 Prediction
The Mets won Game 2, but the Padres still look like the better team. Juan Soto had two singles and a third hard-hit ball on Saturday. Trent Grisham has a pair of homers in the series, and Manny Machado, while he looked lost against deGrom, has two RBI against the Mets and is playing great at the hot corner. Even in Game 2, in the ninth, the never-say-die Padres brought the tying run to the plate.
We think the Padres will be too much for the Mets, that the New York bullpen will implode, and that Juan Soto will be “Soto Shuffling” his way to key hits for San Diego.
Bet the moneyline on the Padres, which is +116 at FanDuel, and +115 most everywhere else.
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