New York Mets vs Atlanta Braves Game 1 Prediction, Odds and Picks for Monday, 09/30/24

As we approach an unprecedented end to a baseball season, we have our Mets vs Braves prediction to kick off the new betting week. After Hurricane Helene forced the postponement of 2 very necessary games, the Mets and Braves are slated for a doubleheader on Monday. Here is the situation: if either team wins 1 game of the 2, they clinch a wildcard spot. If, however, one of these teams sweeps the 2 games, then the loser is out and Arizona is in. Personally, I think the split is a near certainty, and as soon as I am sure who is winning Game 1, I want to go hammer the other team to win Game 2. Why? Because whoever punches their ticket in Game 1 will have every reason to hold back the Game 2 starter and use them to open Tuesday’s Wild Card round.

But who will win Game 1? My lean is toward the Mets. Tylor Megill and Spencer Schwellenbach will take the hill, and these are both great pitchers, even if they don’t carry name recognition just yet. Megill has hurled 3 excellent starts in a row (1 earned run across 16 innings of work), and 5 of his last 6 starts have been 1 run or less. Schwellenbach has also been on a strong run, churning out 3 quality starts in a row. His strikeout numbers have leveled back out lately though, which could mean he is tiring or that the league is figuring him out, or he could just be pitching to contact more. Personally, I like both of these pitchers, and we could be at the end of 5 or 6 innings with a 2-2 type of game. I think the Mets have the slightest of platoon advantages, and both bullpens are strong. To me, this game is a virtual toss-up, and when that happens, I tend to take the plus-money side. That is what I am doing here. My Mets vs Braves pick is to take the Mets on the money line in Game 1 of this huge doubleheader.

Mets vs Braves prediction: Mets ML (+130) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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