Mets vs. Braves: Picks, predictions, how to watch Monday’s game

The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves square off on Monday with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia and will be available to watch on FS1. Max Scherzer (5-1, 2.26 ERA) will throw for the Mets, while Max Fried (9-1, 2.52 ERA) will pitch for the Braves.

New York (53-33) split a four-game series with the Miami Marlins over the weekend and will enter Monday night 1.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the top spot in the National League East. Scherzer’s pitching excellence has continued in his first year with the Mets, and the 37-year-old righty threw 6 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in a loss to the Cincinnati Reds in his last start, which was his first game back from the injured list. New York ranks No. 3 in on-base percentage (.325), and Pete Alonso leads the league with 70 RBIs.

Atlanta (52-35) swept the Washington Nationals this past weekend as the Braves continue to close the gap on the Mets in the division. Fried has been fantastic through 17 starts in 2022, and he allowed just 1 run over 13 innings in his previous two starts. The Braves have the top slugging percentage (.445) in the league, and Austin Riley homered in consecutive games with multiple hits in five of his last six games.

Mets vs. Braves

Pitchers: Max Scherzer vs. Max Fried
First pitch: 7:20 p.m. ET
Mets local broadcast: SNY
Braves local broadcast: Bally Sports South
Live stream: FS1, FOX Sports App

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Braves -1.5 (+165)
Run total: 7
Moneyline odds: Braves -125, Mets +105

Moneyline pick: Mets +105

It’s tough to find where the edge will be in either direction with two of the top pitchers in the league and a couple fantastic offenses. It feels like this game could go either way, so let’s go with the team getting the higher payout as the Mets get set to end the Braves winning streak.

Player prop pick: Max Fried Under 4.5 strikeouts (+130)

The Mets do not strike out very much as a team with 7.5 K’s per game, which ranks No. 4 in the MLB. Despite his success on the mound the last two outings, strikeouts have been down for Fried when he threw fewer than 5 K’s in consecutive starts. New York struck out just 6 times in yesterday’s game that went 10 innings.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), ConnexOntario 1-866-531-2600 (ONT), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA). 21+ (18+ NH/WY; 19+ ONT). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/ONT/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. DraftKings operates pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario. Please play responsibly.