The 2022 MLB season goes on Tuesday, May 10, with the NL East showdown at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., so we have prepared the best Mets vs. Nationals betting pick along with the latest odds update on BetOnline Sportsbook. 

New York heads to Washington as a firm fave to win the opening game of a three-game set. The Mets and Nats meet each other for the second time in 2022, and New York beat Washington 3-1 in a four-game series at Nationals Park back in the opening week of the season. 

The Metsies beat the Phillies, returned to winning ways                          

The New York Mets have won each but one of their first nine series in 2022. After splitting a four-game home set against the reigning champs, the Atlanta Braves, the Metsies outlasted the Phillies in a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. 

Last Sunday, the Mets and Phillies split a twin bill, and New York won the second game 6-1. The Mets improved to 20-10 on the season and were six games ahead of the Braves and Marlins in the NL East. New York ranked seventh in the majors in runs scored per game (4.53), third in batting average (.255), and fifth in OPS (.719). 

On the pitching side of things, the Mets carry a 3.24 ERA (5th in the MLB) and 1.07 WHIP (2nd). Carlos Carrasco is projected to take the hill Tuesday at Nationals Park, and the 35-year-old right-hander is 2-1 with a solid 3.30 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 28/6 K/BB ratio in five starts (30 innings) in 2022. Last Tuesday, Carrasco pitched a gem in a 3-0 victory over the Braves, allowing six hits and a pair of walks across eight innings. 

The Nats suffered a tough loss in Anaheim          

The Washington Nationals closed down their nine-game road trip last Sunday. They lost 5-4 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, blowing a two-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Nats dropped a three-game series against the Angels and fell to 10-20 on the season. 

Washington is tallying 4.17 runs per game (14th in the majors) on a .254/.319/.366 slash line (.232/.306/.370 league average). On the other side of the ball, the Nationals rank 28th in the majors in ERA (5.17) and 29th in WHIP (1.46). 

Patrick Corbin will toe the slab Tuesday, and the 32-year-old southpaw is 0-5 with a horrible 7.16 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in six starts and 27.2 frames of work in 2022. Last Wednesday, Corbin threw eight frames in a 5-2 defeat to the Rockies at Coors Field, yielding five runs (three earned) on nine hits while striking out three. 

Trends:

NY Mets: 

  • 8-3 in the last 11 games on the road   
  • 11-4 in the last 15 games against Washington 

Washington:

  • 1-4 in the last five games overall 
  • 0-8 in the last eight games at home 

New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals Pick 

The Nationals can score, but their pitching staff is one of the worst in the majors. I’ve mentioned Patrick Corbin’s struggle. He’s been awful over the last two years, and the current Mets have registered a .720 OPS in 197 at-bats against Corbin. Look after Pete Alonso, who’s 11-for-32 with four home runs against the Nats’ lefty. 

Furthermore, the Nationals’ bullpen has recorded an awful 6.16 ERA through the first nine days of May. On the other side, the Mets’ relievers have posted a 3.75 ERA and 2.62 FIP so far this month. 

Pick: Take New York Mets                      

The Total:

Carlos Carrasco has had one rough start in 2022, as he’s surrendered eight earned runs in a 10-5 defeat at St. Louis. In the other four outings, Carrasco has allowed three earned runs in total. Anyway, I don’t trust Patrick Corbin and the Nats’ bullpen, so I’ll go with the over. 

The under is 4-1 in the last five meetings between the Mets and Nationals. On the other hand, the over is 5-3 in New York’s last eight outings, and it is 7-2 in Washington’s previous nine games overall. 

Pick: Go over