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After starting the week with a sweep of the division rival Phillies, the New York Mets will look to pick up their second series win in a row when they welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to Citi Field for a three-game set this weekend. The opener starts tonight, with Justin Verlander (2-2, 4.80 ERA) taking the mound for the Mets against Toronto righty Chris Bassitt (5-4, 3.80 ERA). First pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.
New York is a -135 favorite on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Blue Jays are slight +115 underdogs. The total is set at 8.5.
Blue Jays-Mets picks: Friday, June 2
Injury report
Blue Jays
Out: 2B Santiago Espinal (right hamstring inflammation), RP Zach Pop (right hamstring), C Danny Jansen (left groin strain)
Mets
Out: RP Edwin Uceta (left ankle sprain), SP Jose Quintana (recovery from rib surgery)
Starting pitchers
Chris Bassitt vs. Justin Verlander
After spending the 2022 season with the Mets, Bassitt gets a chance to go against his old club. The righty began May with four scoreless starts (one of which was a two-hit shutout against the Braves), but he stumbled at the end of the month, and is coming off a start where he allowed seven earned runs against the Twins.
Verlander, who missed the first month of the season with a shoulder injury, made five starts in May. Some of them were excellent (like when he allowed one run against the Guardians on May 21) and some weren’t so great (like when he allowed six runs against the Rockies last week). While his command is still there (87th percentile in walk rate), he only ranks in the 54th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 41st percentile in barrel rate.
Over/Under pick
While tonight’s matchup features a strong pitching matchup, I’m banking on offense to win out. Both Verlander and Bassitt have been inconsistent this season, and both offenses should be flying high after picking up series wins earlier this week.
Pick: Over 8.5
Moneyline pick
The Mets get it done at home. As mentioned above, they’re coming off a huge series win against the division rival Phillies, and are playing some of their best baseball of the season.
Pick: Mets