The young MLB season continues as we turn early blips on the radar into real, meaningful statistical analysis. Pro baseball’s pecking order is coming into focus slowly but surely, giving us more and more data to work with on the betting market. Today at 4:10 p.m. ET, the New York Mets host the Athletics for the second game of this series. Luckily, there’s one major pick that stands out among the rest for this one.
Here’s a betting prediction and pick for today’s Athletics vs. Mets matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Athletics vs. Mets prediction, preview
Athletics
Last season, the A’s became semi-competitive down the stretch of the season. It seems that 2026 may see them mess around and win a few more games after starting 6-7, and while the results aren’t perfect by any means, they did win a series over both the Yankees and Astros in the opening weeks. They also took the first game of this series against the Mets last night by a 4-0 margin, so perhaps they can secure another series victory today. Regardless, the offense has produced 3.92 runs per game even despite a .645 OPS that’s fifth lowest in the MLB. The slash line of .230/.295/.351 may not impress, nor does a .121 ISO and 10 homers. Still, better days are likely ahead of Jacob Wilson and Brent Rooker can get going at some point. The biggest issue by far for this lineup is a hyper-aggressive approach, but more on that in a bit. As for the pitching staff, a 4.38 ERA and 1.54 WHIP are both rather ugly, as is a 5.9% K-BB% with one of the sport’s highest walk rates and lowest strikeout rates.
New York Mets
The Mets had just gotten going when Juan Soto went down with a calf injury that landed him on IL. The team survived the first couple of games without him but has now dropped three straight matchups, two of which came to the Diamondbacks in a series loss. Now, the scoring has seemingly dried up after tallying just three runs over those three games combined, but the question is whether they can recapture any of their early momentum without their star. New York still averages 4.00 runs per game, though the team’s OPS has dropped to .665 with a .239/.311/.354 slash line. However, the Mets’ OBP in games without Soto is only .288, which doesn’t bode all that well. They’re also second-to-last with a .115 ISO to begin with, so outside of their 10 homers, they aren’t turning extra bases at a high rate. An 0.44 BB/K ratio is in the middle of the pack as well, and they have managed the seventh-lowest K% at 20.8%. The pitching looks far better than the bats, though, tossing a 3.26 ERA that ranks fifth with a 1.21 WHIP. The Mets are also 11th in K-BB% at 14.0%.
Tonight’s starting pitchers
The visiting Athletics are set to start LHP Jacob Lopez. The 28-year-old has appeared in two games so far in 2026 with a 6.48 ERA and 2.28 WHIP, lasting only 8.1 innings with six strikeouts. He allowed three earned runs in each of his two starts and walked five in each as well, struggling with severe control issues already.
As for the Mets, RHP Kodai Senga steps up to the mound. He’s tossed just two games this season with a 3.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over his 11.2 IP, punching out 16 batters in that span. He allowed two earned runs in both of his starts but has given up no more than five hits, and of course, the strikeout potential appears high based on this hot beginning to his campaign.
Athletics vs. Mets pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Mets as -163 ML favorites at home. The Athletics are behind at +135 odds to win outright. The run total sits at 7.5 combined runs between these sides.
Best Bet: Kodai Senga 7+ strikeouts (-102)
I wrote up this pick as part of my best player props piece for today’s slate. It would be a disservice to go any other direction but this one here as well. Here’s a brief excerpt with the logic for 7+ punchouts for Kodai Senga as the top bet for today.
On the Athletics: This lineup has been aggressive already, sitting third in K% at 27.5% with the fourth-worst BB/K ratio at 0.31. The A’s are also third in overall swing rate (49.5%), first in first-pitch swing rate (40.1%), third in chase rate (32.7%), and fifth in whiff rate (30.1%).
On Senga: In 2026, his fastball velocity is way up from 93.7 mph to 96.1 mph, plus, he’s generated an 85th-percentile whiff rate (34.5%) and 88th-percentile K% (34.0%). After striking out nine batters in his opening start and seven in his more recent one — good for 16 punchouts in just 11.2 IP — I like him to take advantage of this matchup against a swing-happy A’s order.
