Mets vs. Braves Betting (August 18): New York to Edge Out Atlanta in Pitching Duel

Thursday, August 18’s slate of MLB games includes the finale of a four-game series between the New York Mets (76-42) and Atlanta Braves (72-47). With the playoffs nearing, a win for either team is crucial if they hope to win the NL East.

The series hasn’t gone exactly the way that the Mets planned. After winning four of five games against the Braves nearly two weeks ago, New York has dropped the first two games of the series before winning, 9-7, on Wednesday.

The Braves currently trail the Mets by 4.5 games in the divisional race, meaning the defending World Series Champions could use a win here. Atlanta needs to get off to a better start after going down 4-0 after the first two innings on Wednesday.

The Mets are sending the always-dominant Jacob deGrom in as their starter while talented southpaw Max Fried takes to the mound for the Braves.

Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s odds, along with the best bets to make, ahead of today’s Mets vs. Braves matchup.

New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New York Mets (76-42, 36-23 road, 1st in the NL East) vs. Atlanta Braves (72-47, 39-23, 2nd in the NL East)
• Venue & Location: Truist Park (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Date: Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022
• Time: 7:20 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Today’s Mets vs. Braves Game: MLB.TV, MLB Extra Innings, ESPN+

Mets vs. Braves Pitching Matchup

• New York Mets: Jacob deGrom (2022: 3 starts, 2-0, 1.62 ERA)
• Atlanta Braves: Max Fried (2022: 22 starts, 10-4, 2.60 ERA)

Mets vs. Braves Odds (Aug. 18, 8:24 a.m. ET)

Odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other top reviewed and recommended online sportsbooks may also be included in this article.

Moneyline

• New York Mets -102
• Atlanta Braves -116

Over/Under

• OVER 6.5 (-122)
• UNDER 6.5 (+100)

Run Line

• New York Mets -1.5 (+172)
• Atlanta Braves +1.5 (-210)

Mets, Braves Set for Pitching Duel

The Mets and Braves can produce offense when needed, proven by last night’s shootout. However, runs should be tougher to come by with deGrom and Fried duking it out on the mound.

deGrom has been nothing short of spectacular since returning to the Mets to kickstart August. The two-time NL Cy Young winner has gone 2-0 through three starts so far, pitching to a 1.62 ERA and 0.420 WHIP. Yeah, it’s safe to say that the deGrom of old is back.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, deGrom has only surrendered a total of three runs on six hits over 16.2 innings. He’s only walked one batter over that stretch while striking out 28. His 15.1 strikeouts per nine innings is the best mark of his career, albeit a small sample size.

Fortunately, deGrom also loves to pitch at Truist Park. He’s 4-2 with a 2.73 ERA in nine road starts against the Braves in his career. Furthermore, the 80 strikeouts that he’s recorded at Truist Park are the third-most he has at any MLB stadium.

As dominant as deGrom has been this month, the Braves don’t exactly have a slouch on the mound either. Fried has been one of the National League’s top hurlers throughout the 2022 MLB season.

In fact, Fried’s +5000 odds to be named this year’s NL Cy Young winner are tied for sixth-best on BetOnline Sportsbook.

While Fried has pitched well for most of the campaign, the Mets have had his number lately. He’s lost back-to-back starts against his New York rivals and while his 3.27 ERA over that stretch is respectable, the Braves didn’t give him run support in those matchups, averaging just 3.5 runs scored.

Considering that the Braves have averaged 8.3 runs scored in the first three games of this series, there’s a better chance of Fried getting the support he needs.

Nevertheless, deGrom is going to do his best to prevent that, meaning Atlanta may have to wait until the Met superstar is removed before the runs start to come.

Betting Trends for Mets vs. Braves

• The Mets are 15-5 straight up in their last 20 games.
• Atlanta is 3-6 straight up in its last nine games against the Mets.
• The total has hit the under in six of the Mets’ last nine games.
• The total has hit the over in seven of Atlanta’s last nine games against the Mets.

Mets vs. Braves Prediction and Best Bets

Mets vs. Braves Prediction: Mets to win

Mets vs. Braves Best Bets: Mets ML (-102 at BetOnline) & Over 6.5 (-122 at BetOnline)

I like the Mets winning tonight and splitting this four-game series. While the Braves have already won two games thus far, I think deGrom gives New York a distinct advantage, especially with the success that he’s had at Truist Park.

Plus, as great as Fried is, the Mets are 24-16 straight up against lefties this season.

Keeping that in mind, a Mets moneyline win has some nice value here. Also, take the over since a 6.5-run total is relatively low, even for this pitching duel. Once Fried and deGrom are out of the game, the offense could come alive.