Mets vs. Pirates Prediction
The New York Mets are the hottest team in baseball with a seven-game winning streak heading into tonight’s series opener at the Pittsburgh Pirates. Will New York run the streak to eight with another win?
Game Snapshot
953 New York Mets at 954 Pittsburgh Pirates
Friday, August 2, 2019
PNC Park at 7:05PM ET
TV: ATT SportsNet-PIT
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our MLB Odds & Betting Page.
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, the Mets are a -112 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Pirates are a +102 underdog, while the total is set at 9.5 runs. As of Friday morning, 72 percent of public bets are siding with visiting New York. Check out our MLB Public Betting Page for up-to-date info.
Wheeler shuts down White Sox
Zack Wheeler threw seven shutout innings Thursday afternoon in a 4-0 victory at Chicago as New York won a seventh straight game. Wheeler gave up four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks over seven shutout frames to lead the way. Robinson Cano helped pace the offense as he finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two run scored and two RBIs. Wilson Ramos was 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Jeff McNeil went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run. Steven Matz will start tonight for the Mets as he enters with a 6-6 record, 4.32 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with 93 strikeouts over 100 innings.
Pirates drop finale to Reds
Pittsburgh lost by a count of 4-1 Thursday afternoon at Cincinnati one day after a brawl resulted in numerous suspensions. Elias Diaz led the offense for the Pirates as he finished 2-for-3 and scored the lone run. Jose Osuna went 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit double. Bryan Reynolds was 0-for-4 but drove in the only run. Dario Agrazal took the loss on the mound as he gave up three earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks over 3 2/3 innings. Trevor Williams gets the start tonight for Pittsburgh as he comes in with a 3-4 record, 4.87 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 75 strikeouts over 88 2/3 innings pitched.
MLB Betting Trends
New York
The Mets are 4-1 in their last five road games. New York is 5-1 in its last six games versus the AL Central.
Pittsburgh
The Pirates are 0-4 in their last four Friday games. Pittsburgh is 0-5 in its last five home games.
Prediction:
New York has used strong pitching and timely hitting to gain its seven straight wins, which has it thinking about an NL Wild Card run. With Matz coming off a dominant complete-game shutout, he’s pitching with a lot of confidence right now and I expect a strong start from him against a Pirates team that often looks more ready to fight another team than win a baseball game. With Williams having an underwhelming season, I like the Mets to get the job done again tonight.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: NEW YORK METS -112