Online MLB Betting Pick on Washington Nationals at New York Mets

The marquee series of the final weekend before baseball’s All-Star break is certainly from Citi Field in New York as the defending NL East champion Mets host the current division-leading Washington Nationals. The Mets will be slight favorites on betting lines for Thursday’s opener, which is nationally televised.

Online MLB Betting Pick on Washington Nationals at New York Mets & TV Info

When: Thursday, June 7, 7:10 PM ET Where: Citi Field, New York Probable pitchers (away/home): Lucas Giolito/Bartolo Colon TV: MLB Network Stream: MLB.tv Opening MLB Lines: Mets favored by TBA

Nationals at Mets Historic Betting Trends

These teams just met in Washington, D.C. from June 27-29 and the Nationals had an easy sweep. The Nats took Game 1, 11-4. The Nationals stole six bases, matching their most since the franchise moved to Washington in 2005. Washington also erased an 4-0 deficit against Mets ace Noah Syndergaard, who had won six consecutive decisions and had not lost since May 6. In Game 2, Washington won 5-0 behind Lucas Giolito, the top pitching prospect in baseball. He allowed just one hit, struck out one and walked two in four scoreless innings and made the most of his start despite the rainy weather. The 6-foot-6 Giolito mixed his curveball and improving changeup in with his overpowering fastball to silence the Mets after a leadoff single by Curtis Granderson. An 85-minute rain delay cost Giolito the chance to pick up his first major league victory, as the win went to reliever Oliver Perez (2-1) instead. And in the finale, the Nats won 4-2. Max Scherzer allowed two hits with 10 strikeouts over 7 1/3 shutout innings. He retired 18 in a row before Brandon Nimmo’s single in the eighth. Former Met Daniel Murphy homered twice. Murphy homered off Logan Verrett in the second for a 1-0 lead and golfed a two-run drive in the eighth against reliever Sean Gilmartin. Washington didn’t have closer Jonathan Papelbon for that series but he was activated off the DL on Monday. He missed three weeks with an intercostal strain. The team sent down struggling outfielder Michael Taylor to make room. The Mets, meanwhile, activated infielder Jose Reyes on Tuesday to make his New York return. Reyes was released earlier this season by the Rockies following an offseason arrest and then 51-game MLB suspension. Reyes hit .176 (6-for-34) while tuning up with short-season Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton. With David Wright out for the season, Reyes should be the every-day starter at third base and hit leadoff. Reyes began his career with the Mets in 2003 and played there through 2011. He went on to sign a six-year, $106 million contract as a free agent with the Marlins that December. The Nationals start Giolito (0-0, 0.00) in this game. He has only made that one big-league start vs. the Mets. Giolito was expected to be sent back down to the minors following the call-up of Stephen Strasburg (back), but a rotation spot opened back up when Joe Ross hit the DL with shoulder inflammation. New York goes with 42-year-old Bartolo Colon (7-4, 2.87). Colon allowed two runs on four hits, struck out five and walked three in a 4-3 victory over the Cubs on Saturday. It was the first time Colon walked more than two batters in a start since May 18, but he was able to limit the damage. Colon threw 66 of his 100 pitches for strikes and induced 23 called strikes. Here, Colon will try for his eighth straight start of allowing two runs or fewer, excluding June 21 vs. the Royals when he tossed only four pitches before exiting (bruised thumb). In 11 career games (10 starts) vs. the Nationals, he is 4-6 with a 3.15 ERA.

Expert Betting Prediction

Giolito is a stellar prospect, but this will be his first road start and that’s just a different animal. Go Mets and under what should be a total of 7.5 on betting lines.