The MLB playoff race is going to come down to the wire over the next month. The wild card races are airtight, and a few divisions are up for grabs. Suddenly, that includes the NL East. The New York Mets entered this series against the Philadelphia Phillies trailing by seven games. Now they’ve won the first two, the second win coming in dramatic fashion.
The Mets are a -157 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 8.5 runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and best bet for this Phillies vs. Mets game.
Phillies vs. Mets prediction, preview
There is a serious experience gap in Wednesday’s matchup. Philadelphia starter Taijuan Walker will be making his 226th career start, while New York puts Nolan McLean on the mound for the third time.
Walker has rebounded in a big way this year. After a couple of rough years, he got a turn in the rotation to begin 2025 before going back to the bullpen. Now that Philly is navigating pitcher injuries, he has returned to the rotation and is pitching very well. Walker has pitched to a 3.19 ERA over his last eight games as a starter, and the team has gone .500 in those games. That’s a huge boost to a team trying to hold on to a divisional lead.
Excitement abounds in New York as Nolan McLean finds his footing in the Mets’ rotation. In his first two trips to the mound, McLean surrendered just two earned runs in 12.1 innings with 15 strikeouts. His explosive breaking balls are turning heads all across baseball as New York’s No. 3 prospect makes his presence felt.
The problem for both of these starters is that the bullpens got unloaded on Tuesday night. Both the Phillies and the Mets had to use five different bullpen arms. Even if Walker and McLean can pitch well and deep into this game, I don’t see the lids being closed on both offenses here.
