Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets, 8/2/2018 Prediction & Odds

Braves vs. Mets Thursday Prediction

National League East rivals meet at Citi Field on Thursday night where the New York Mets will host the Atlanta Braves at 7:10 p.m. ET. Will the Braves hand the struggling Mets yet another loss?

Game Snapshot & Odds

957 Atlanta Braves (-158) at 958 New York Mets (+153); 8.5 runs

Thursday, August 2, 2018

7:10 p.m. ET, Citi Field

TV: ATL (FSSO); NYM (SNY)

Compare odds and from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new Baseball Odds & Betting Page.

Public Betting Trends

Oddsmakers from online sportsbooks currently list the Braves as a -158 favorite. As of this writing, 75% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Braves to beat the Mets on the moneyline. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.

Braves' Foltynewicz allows four runs in loss to Dodgers

Mike Foltynewicz surrendered four runs in five innings of work and took the loss Friday against the Dodgers. Foltynewicz gave up solo homers to Alex Verdugo and Yasmani Grandal, but what really hurt was giving up a two-run single to opposing pitcher Clayton Kershaw. The 26-year-old will be happy to see July come to a close, as he’s allowed at least four runs in each of his last four starts while giving up six homers. His ERA has jumped from 2.02 to 3.04 in that time. He’ll try to turn the page for the start of August in a matchup against the Marlins next week.

Mets' Vargas allows three runs over 4 1/3 innings vs. Pirates

Jason Vargas gave up three runs over 4 1/3 innings in his return from the disabled list Friday against the Pirates. It was his first start since going down with a strained calf more than a month ago. It’s a bad sign when your ERA actually goes down with this sort of outing, but that’s what happened here with Vargas, as he’s now at 8.36 after entering the night at 8.60 for the year. The southpaw gave up three hits — including a two-run homer to David Freese — while walking three and striking out three. He figures to stick in the rotation if healthy, but fantasy owners can pay him no mind.

MLB Betting Trends

Atlanta

The Braves are 4-11 in Foltynewicz's last 15 road starts.

New York

The Mets are 0-4 in Vargas' last four outings.

Prediction:

The Braves beat the Mets in eight of the last 10 meetings between these two teams and are 13-5 in their last 18 games played at Citi Field. The Braves are also 4-1 in Foltynewicz's last five outings coming off five days of rest and have won seven of their last nine divisional matchups as well. Finally, the Mets are just 19-40 in their last 59 games, are 9-19 in their last 28 games inside the division, and have dropped 22 of their last 31 games at home.

 

The Pick: Atlanta Braves -1.5 (-115)