Dodgers And Mets Will Rack Up Runs

Dodgers vs. Mets, 7:10 ET

Before you respond to me on Twitter or X or in your head, I know that it isn't quite Memorial Day yet. But, I don't say this with any hyperbole - this could be another National League Championship Series preview. It is the one we got last year, and that one was probably better than the World Series as the matchup went seven games. The Dodgers are taking on the Mets today and I want all of the games to be as good as these could potentially be.

The Dodgers are currently 31-19, but they are just 12-11 away from Dodger Stadium. They had the last laugh last year as they beat the Mets en route to winning the World Series. There really doesn't need to be an introduction to this team, they are too good, have bottomless pockets, and get virtually everything that they want. Does that mean they will win a World Series? Not necessarily. Anything can happen and they've already shown their pitching isn't exactly reliable. Injuries are always the great equalizer. One pitcher that has come back to the team is the future Hall of Famer, Clayton Kershaw, who takes the mound today. Kershaw has just one start for the year, and he allowed five runs in four innings of work. The Mets don't have a great history against Kershaw with a .169 batting average.

The Mets really need no introduction at this point either. I haven't seen many teams that have tinkered more with their roster trying to make changes to make the squad successful. I'm not fan of the Mets, but I do respect virtually every franchise that prioritizes winning. The Mets have clearly been doing that with the work they have done on the field. Although they gave out a ridiculously large contract to Juan Soto, they weren't expected to sign Pete Alonso, but they found a way to get that done too. I see a lot of similarities between the Mets and the Dodgers, but one of the main ones is that there are concerns about the pitching staff. After trying to get big names, they had a piecemeal rotation, which has worked. Griffin Canning is one of those guys who has a 5-1 record with a 2.47 ERA, and a 1.29 WHIP. He has only one season in his career with an ERA under 4.00, and it was 3.99 in 2020. The Dodgers have hit Canning pretty well in the past, batting .271 against him. 

This game is probably going to have a bit of playoff intensity. I think the Mets probably win the series as this has the playoff revenge factor. However, that tends to matter more in the NBA than anywhere else. Kershaw is not the same hurler he once was and Canning has struggled in the past against the Dodgers. I think the best angle here is to play the over 8.5. Both starters should give up some runs. Back the over in this one. 

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