On Tuesday evening, the New York Mets (63-55) host the Atlanta Braves (51-67) as this series between NL East foes kicks off. Both of these teams may be underperforming at the moment, but there’s still plenty of reason to check in on this matchup as two rivals square off in the Big Apple over the next three days.
Here’s a Mets vs. Braves prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday evening.
Mets vs. Braves prediction, preview
The Mets would probably like a do-over of the last week-plus if they could get another shot at it. They’re in the midst of their worst slump of the 2025 campaign at the moment as they ride a seven-game losing streak with just one win in their last 12 games. At 8-13 since the All-Star Game, New York keeps losing ground in the NL East by the day and they now sit a full six games behind the Phillies.
It feels as if the offense has completely forgotten how to hit the baseball as of late — the Mets’ .662 OPS since the ASG ranks dead-last, as does their paltry .216 average. With such poor play at the plate, it’s not shocking that New York’s only scored 87 runs across this 21-game sample, or just 4.14 per contest. They fall tied for 27th in scoring among all teams over this span, so there’s much for the Mets to figure out if they’re to snap out of his slump and regain their midseason form that got them to the 60-plus win mark.
The visiting Braves have just about punted on their season after they fell behind in the standings in the opening weeks of the season and injuries later decimated their rotation. They’re still attempting to dig themselves out of the hole, but they’re a full 12 games back of a Wild Card spot and have a 9-14 record since the ASG, though they’re 5-5 across their last 10 contests.
Of course, Atlanta is still without superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. as he remains on the IL with a calf strain suffered in late July. In the full sample of 23 games since the break, the Braves’ .738 OPS actually ranks 13th and they’ve scored 111 runs (4.83 per outing), the ninth-most of any team. The team’s 28 homers over that span rank 15th in the MLB, but they’re truly excelling at drawing walks — their 103 BB are first in baseball by a nearly 20-walk margin. Unfortunately, the signs of a turnaround may just have come a little too late for this squad’s hopes of playing into October.
Mets vs. Braves pick, best bet
The Mets enter this outing as -144 Moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Braves are listed at +118 on the Moneyline with the run total set at eight.
In tonight’s contest, a couple of right-handers duke it out as New York’s Clay Holmes (3.46 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 97 SO) duels Atlanta’s Spencer Strider (4.04 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 98 SO). This looks like it could become a fun matchup on the mound.
The first bet for tonight looks like 3+ walks allowed for Holmes at +195 odds. He’s posting a 35th-percentile BB% this year with a 3.46 BB/9, and with the Braves seeing the ball with such discipline since the ASG, I feel very comfortable taking the value here.
However, I’m also eyeing a game line this evening. There’s just no way to deny the Mets have played horrendous baseball lately. While they’re bound to snap out of this funk at some point, there’s no telling when that change comes. They’ve lost all mojo to this point and aren’t showing signs of a bounce back to form. While betting on the Braves to win feels like a difficult proposition this season — especially without Acuna in the lineup — they’ve posted respectable numbers at the plate over the last month or so and trot out one of their top arms tonight. I like Atlanta on the Moneyline at plus-odds.
Best bet: ATL Braves ML (+118)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
