The 2022 MLB season continues Friday, April 29, with the National League East showdown at Citi Field in New York, so we have prepared the best Phillies vs. Mets betting pick along with the latest odds update on BetDSI Sportsbook.   

Philadelphia and New York start a three-game series, their second of the season. A couple of weeks ago, the Mets won two of their three encounters with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. 

The Phillies hope to stay on the right path                             

Wednesday’s games have been excluded from the analysis, and the 9-10 Philadelphia Phillies were trying to sweep a four-game home series against the Colorado Rockies (Phila had a 3-0 lead at the end of the sixth inning). Back on Wednesday, the Phillies beat the Rockies 7-3. They’ve scored 25 runs through the first three contests of the series. 

Philadelphia ranked seventh in the majors in runs scored per game on Wednesday (4.68). The Phillies were third in batting average (.261), sixth in on-base percentage (.327), and third in slugging percentage (.420). On the pitching side of things, they carried a 4.28 ERA (23rd in the MLB), 3.87 FIP (19th), and 1.22 WHIP (16th). 

Aaron Nola will toe the slab Friday in New York. He’s 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in four starts and 21.2 innings of work in 2022. The 29-year-old righty was electric last time out but had to settle down with a no-decision in a tough 1-0 home loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Nola fanned nine across seven scoreless frames, allowing only one hit and one free pass. 

We’ll see the second clash of the season between Aaron Nola and the Mets. The one-time All-Star was charged for a loss on April 13, yielding three earned runs through 3.1 innings in a 9-6 defeat at Citizens Bank Park. Nola is 9-4 with a 3.26 ERA in 21 career starts against the Mets. 

The Mets are topping the NL East      

The New York Mets fell to 14-6 on the season following a 10-5 defeat at St. Louis this past Wednesday. They still won the sixth straight series in 2022 and owned the best record in the majors. The Mets were comfortably top of the NL East, 3.5 games ahead of Miami and 4.5 above Philadelphia. 

New York is scoring 4.70 runs per game (6th in the MLB) on a .259 batting average (4th), .343 on-base percentage (2nd), and .392 slugging percentage (11th). The Mets’ pitching staff boasts the fourth-lowest ERA in baseball (2.93). 

Tylor Megill will get the nod Friday and face the Phillies for the second time in 2022. The 26-year-old righty fanned five across 5.1 scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory at Citizens Bank Park on April 12, allowing just three hits to his opponents. 

Megill is 3-0 on the season, carrying a sharp 2.35 ERA, 2.69 FIP, 0.91 WHIP, and 22/3 K/BB ratio. However, he’s allowed six earned runs on 12 hits and three walks over his last two starts and 12.2 innings of work. 

Trends:

Philadelphia: 

  • 3-11 in the last 14 games on the road   

NY Mets:

  • 8-3 in the last 11 games overall   
  • 4-1 in the last five games at home 
  • 5-0 in Tylor Megill’s last five starts  

Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Mets Pick 

Friday’s opener will be a joy to watch, but taking a side bet looks like a tricky job. Both Phillies and Mets are off to a strong start at the plate. Their relievers have done a superb job lately, so it’s hard to tell who’ll come out on top. The Mets hit well against Aaron Nola in their first meeting of the season, but they are slashing only .188/.287/.277 in 212 at-bats against the Phillies’ righty, who dominated the Brewers last Saturday. 

On the other side, the current Phillies are hitting .250/.250/.458 in 26 at-bats against Tylor Megill. The Mets are arguably a better defensive team than the Phillies which is the main reason why I lean toward the hosts. New York ranks seventh in the majors in defensive efficiency and fourth in fielding percentage, while Philadelphia is 17th in defensive efficiency and 15th in fielding percentage. 

Pick: Take New York Mets at -117                   

The Total:

Over the last seven days, the Phillies’ bullpen has recorded a shiny 2.29 ERA and 3.59 FIP, while the Mets’ ‘pen has registered a 3.47 ERA and 2.82 FIP. If they continue with a strong performance, we won’t see a high-scoring affair. 

I’ve already mentioned how good these two teams have been at the plate thus far. The totals are another tricky wager, but there’s no easy money in this matchup. 

Pick: Go under 7.5 runs at -125