Ricky Dimon
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The National League takes center stage by itself on Tuesday and to say that both Game 3s are must-watch TV would be a gross understatement. Each series is a division-rivalry matchup and both are deadlocked at 1-1 through 2 games. The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets will square off at 5:08 pm ET before the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres meet again at 9:08 pm ET, with both showdowns televised on FS1. Let’s take a look at Tuesday’s NLDS best bets, and also check out our MLB picks for each game.
Phillies vs Mets NLDS Game 3 best bet: Phillies F5 team total Over 1.5 (-145)
Although the NLDS is heading to New York, it’s Philadelphia that has momentum following Sunday’s 7-6 victory in a back-and-forth thriller. The Phillies’ bats woke up just in time to save their season in what was probably a must-win Game 2 and I think they can remain hot in the early stages of Game 3. Philly has a favorable matchup with Mets starter Sean Manaea. Here are some of the head-to-head statistics against Manaea: Nick Castellanos is batting .375 with 3 home runs; Trea Turner is batting .313 with a home run; Edmundo Sosa is batting .500 with a home run; Bryce Harper is batting .364 with a home run and 2 doubles; Bryson Stott is batting .429 with a home run; Kyle Schwarber is batting .333 with a home run. I also like the Phillies on the -0.5 F5 run line at +120. They should get off to a quick lead at Manaea’s expense and the First 5 line as opposed to the full game allows us to stay away from any additional New York ninth-inning heroics.
Read our full Philadelphia Phillies vs New York Mets prediction
Dodgers vs Padres NLDS Game 3 best bet: Padres ML (-144)
The Phillies and Mets don’t like each other, but the Dodgers and Padres hate each other – especially following Sunday’s contentious Game 2. There were all kinds of shenanigans in that contest, and even the L.A. fans got involved. It did not end well for the home team, as San Diego rolled 10-2. The Padres have been the best team in baseball since the all-star break and remained on a heater by sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card round. They simply seem like the better, hungrier and hotter team even if the Dodgers are favored in the series. That actually might not be a good thing for Los Angeles, because it is playing with more pressure. Tuesday’s pitching matchup massively favors the Padres, too. Michael King (13-9, 2.95 ERA) was lights out against Atlanta last week, while the injury-plagued Walker Buehler has been horrendous in 2024 (1-6, 5.38 ERA). This could be another rout.
Read our full LA Dodgers vs San Diego Padres prediction
