The New York Mets and San Diego Padres begin a series at Petco Park tonight that matches up two of the best pitching teams in baseball and Game 1 should not disappoint.
New York hands the ball to Taijuan Walker, who is off to the best start of his career, while San Diego counters with arguably's its best player this season, Yu Darvish.
So, is the Under an automatic bet? Find out in our free MLB betting picks and predictions for Mets vs. Padres on Thursday, June 3, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET.
Mets vs Padres game info
• Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
• Date: Thursday, June 3, 2021
• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports San Diego, SNY
Mets vs Padres odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Compare MLB odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
MLB Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonAs of 6:45 p.m. ET, San Diego is out to a -195 favorite at TwinSpires Sportsbook, after opening at -161. The Padres are taking 72 percent of moneyline tickets and 77 percent of moneyline cash. The total dipped from 7 to 6.5 for this pitcher's duel, with ticket count 3/1 and money 2/1 on the Under.
Check out the full line movement for this gameMets vs Padres betting preview
Starting pitchers
Taijuan Walker (4-1, 1.84 ERA): Walker has carried over a strong finish to 2020 into this season. The right-hander has a 0.94 WHIP to go along with that sparkling ERA and is limiting opponents to a ridiculously low .163 batting average. Walker has also allowed just one earned run over his last 22 innings of work.
Yu Darvish (5-1, 2.16 ERA): Darvish is coming off his worst start of the season, allowing four earned runs on four hits and three walks in five innings against the Astros. But overall, the right-hander has been outstanding. Batters are hitting just .192 off Darvish this season and he has allowed one run or zero in eight of his 11 starts this season.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Mets: Jonathan Villar UTL (Questionable), Brandon Nimmo OF (Out), J.D. Davis 3B (Out), Jeff McNeil 2B (Out), Michael Conforto OF (Out), Dellin Betances RP (Out).
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. SS (Questionable), Tommy Pham LF (Questionable), Ha-seong Kim SS (Questionable), Trent Grisham OF (Out), Javy Guerra RP (Out), Matt Strahm RP (Out), Dan Altavilla RP (Out), Austin Nola C (Out), Drew Pomeranz RP (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 5-2 in the Mets' last seven games with a total of 6.5 or lower. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Padres.
Moneyline pick
Even though pitching should take center stage in this series, these two National League teams come into this game trending in opposite directions. The Mets have won six of their last seven games while the Padres have dropped four in a row and are coming off a sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs.
The Padres hand the ball to Darvish to stop the bleeding and the right-hander is more than up to the task, but the problem is that Walker has been just as good as Darvish, if not better, this season.
Plus, the Mets are the hotter team right now. Despite all the injuries to the New York lineup the bats are starting to come around. None more important than superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor. The Mets are scoring 6.33 runs per game over their last six games and is it any surprise Lindor is on a six-game hitting streak, going 9-23 (.391)?
The Padres, meanwhile, are in a bit of a slump, plating a total of 10 runs over this four-game slide. To make matters worse, the Padres’ own superstar shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr., is still questionable to play thanks to some oblique tightness.
The Padres are favorites for a reason but the price with the Mets is good enough to take a chance on the underdog in this case.
PREDICTION: Mets (+155)
Over/Under pick
Under. What? You want more?
Well, even though the Mets showing some signs of life at the dish, doing it against a guy like Darvish is a completely different animal than putting up some runs on the Diamondbacks and Rockies. Overall, New York still ranks 24th in scoring, plating just 3.94 runs per game, while ranking 23rd in OPS.
This game also features two strong bullpens. The Padres’ relievers lead MLB in ERA with a 2.46 ERA, while the Mets 'pen has been much better of late. New York is fourth in bullpen ERA over its last 10 games, with a mark of 2.78.
If Tatis can’t go again it creates a big hole in a lineup that is already short on power. Even at 6.5, bet the Under and don’t think about it twice.
PREDICTION: Under 6.5 (-110)
Mets vs Padres betting card
- Mets (+155)
- Under 6.5 (-110)
Picks made on 6/3/2021 at 1:36 p.m. ET
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