The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets clash Friday in game 1 of an MLB series at Citi Field. Let’s preview this game and give out a pick and prediction.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Phillies look for a win after winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Phillies already clinched the top NL wild card spot. The Phillies pitching staff is 11th in ERA (4.01), 10th in WHIP (1.24) and 6th in quality starts (70). The Phillies’ offense is 8th in runs per game (4.91), 9th in batting average (.256) and 9th in homers (217). Nick Castellanos leads the Phillies with 169 hits and 106 RBI, while Trea Turner and Bryson Stott have combined for 330 hits and 137 RBI. Taijuan Walker gets the ball, and he is 15-5 with a 4.35 ERA and 135 strikeouts this season. Walker is 1-2 with a 2.73 ERA and 20 strikeouts in his career against the Mets.

Philadelphia Phillies Team Facts

The Phillies have lost each of their last four games as road favorites against the Mets following a loss.
The Phillies have covered the run line in each of their last six games as favorites against NL East opponents following a loss.
The Phillies have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last five games at Citi Field.
The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Phillies’ last three road games.
The Phillies have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five games at Citi Field.

New York Mets Betting Preview

The Mets need a win after losing 6 of their last 10 games. The Mets are 1 of 6 NL teams bounced from playoff contention. The Mets pitching staff is 19th in ERA (4.31), 21st in WHIP (1.36) and 12th in quality starts (58). The Mets offense is 19th in runs per game (4.43), 24th in batting average (.239) and 10th in homers (210). Brandon Nimmo leads the Mets with 161 hits and 68 RBI, while Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor have combined for 308 hits and 151 RBI. Tylor Megill gets the ball, and he is 8-8 with a 4.92 ERA and 98 strikeouts this season. Megill is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 21 strikeouts in his career against the Phillies.

New York Mets Team Facts

The Mets have lost each of their last 10 Friday games against National League opponents that held a winning record.
The Mets have covered the run line in each of their last eight games as home underdogs.
The Mets have won the first inning in each of their last three games as home underdogs.
The Mets have led after 3 innings in each of their last three games as home underdogs.
The Mets have led after 7 innings in each of their last five games against the Phillies at Citi Field.

Matchup/League Facts

The New York Mets rank 29th in the league for doubles this season (218).
The New York Mets rank 28th in the league for hits this season (1254).
The Philadelphia Phillies are one of only 3 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both steals and batting average this season.
The Philadelphia Phillies are one of only 3 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both steals and home runs this season.

Randy’s Pick

The Phillies are still piling up the victories as they build positive vibes entering the postseason. The Mets are still losing games left and right, and they had that weird game last night where they didn’t leave the clubhouse until like 1 am due to a rain delay. I doubt the Mets are excited to return here for another game that doesn’t benefit them in any way. Not the best pitching matchup in the world between Taijuan Walker and Tylor Megill, but I’m still rolling with the Phillies on the road.