The MLB betting action continues Thursday, May 19, 2022, with a small seven-game card, so we bring you the best Cardinals vs. Mets betting pick and odds, as the National League rivals close down their four-game set at Citi Field in New York. 

The Cards and Metsies split a doubleheader last Tuesday. Wednesday night’s clash has been excluded from this preview, while the Mets opened as -145 moneyline favorites for Thursday’s closer. The totals sat at 7.5 runs on MyBookie Sportsbook.  

The Cardinals’ shaky form goes on                             

After losing the first game of Tuesday’s twin bill, 3-1, the St. Louis Cardinals bounced back with a 4-3 victory in the second contest. They improved to 20-16 on the season, recording the fourth victory in their last ten outings at any location. 

The Cards are tallying 4.50 runs per game (11th in the majors) on a .246/.319/.389 triple-slash (.235/.307/.377 league average). They are yielding 3.50 runs in a return (5th) while posting a 3.45 ERA (8th) and 1.23 WHIP (16th). 

Dakota Hudson will toe the slab Thursday in New York, searching for his second straight win. The 27-year-old righty tossed five scoreless frames in a 4-0 victory to the San Francisco Giants this past Saturday. Hudson is 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA, 5.03 FIP, and 1.33 WHIP in 2022. He’s allowed zero runs in three of his seven starts this season, but in the other four, Dakota has yielded three earned runs per outing. 

The Mets have been a hit-or-miss lately          

The New York Mets carried a 24-14 record into the third game of this series. They were topping the NL East six games above Miami and Philadelphia, but the Mets have been pretty inconsistent lately, going 6-6 in their previous 12 games overall. 

New York is scoring 4.37 runs per game (12th in the MLB) on a .248/.326/.379 slash line. On the pitching side of things, the Mets have registered a 3.33 ERA (tied-4th) and 1.11 WHIP (5th) while surrendering 3.42 runs per contest (4th). 

Chris Bassitt will toe the rubber Thursday, and the 33-year-old right-hander is 4-2 with a sharp 2.34 ERA, WHIP, and 46/12 K/BB ratio in seven starts (42.1 frames) in 2022. Bassitt has allowed just an earned run in each of his previous two showings. 

Trends:

St. Louis: 

  • 2-4 in the last six games against the NL East 

NY Mets:

  • 5-2 in Chris Bassitt’s seven starts in 2022 

St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Mets Pick 

I like the Mets at -145 with Chris Bassitt starting on the mound. The current Cardinals are slashing only .183/.295/.217 with one home run in 34 at-bats against Bassitt. On the other side, the current Mets are hitting .321/.354/.583 in 23 at-bats against Dakota Hudson, who’s recorded a 3.98 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in four starts on the road this season. 

Hudson has allowed three earned runs on eight hits and three walks across six innings of work in his lone career start at Citi Field. Both Cardinals and Mets can lean on their bullpens, and I’m looking for the hosts to get an early lead. 

Pick: Take New York Mets at -145                  

The Total:

The Mets’ bullpen has recorded a strong 2.55 ERA and .247 BABIP over the last ten days to go with a serviceable 3.82 FIP. On the other side, the Cards’ bullpen has registered a 3.56 ERA and .250 BABIP, but its 5.09 FIP suggests there is some room for improvement. 

The pitching staff has dominated the first two games of the series. Citi Field is a pitcher-friendly ballpark, so I’m backing the under on the totals. Seven of the Mets’ last ten games and six of the Cards’ previous nine have gone under the total.  

Pick: Go under 7.5 runs at -115