Jim McIsaac/Getty Images. Pictured: Jacob deGrom.
Mets vs. Rockies Odds
| Mets Odds | -286 / -113 |
| Rockies Odds | +235 / -104 |
| Over/Under | 7 / 8.5 |
| Time | 5:10 p.m. ET / 8:10 p.m. ET |
| TV | MLB.TV |
| Odds as of Saturday morning and via DraftKings. | |
The New York Mets and Colorado Rockies will face off for a doubleheader on Saturday… hopefully. The way this Mets season has started, you never know for sure.
The Mets had their first three games postponed due to COVID-19 issues for the Washington Nationals. Their game on April 11 was suspended after only two batters because of rain. They had games on Monday and Thursday versus the Phillies postponed due to rain. And the start of the series against the Rockies was postponed yesterday due to snow. In April.
The Mets have played just eight games this year and are off to a 5-3 start. Colorado was probably a little happy to have yesterday’s game canceled after losing six straight games to fall to 3-10.
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New York Mets
Jacob deGrom will finally be back on the mound for New York in Game 1, pitching on six days’ rest. deGrom is 0-1 in two starts this season through no fault of his own.
For some reason, the Mets just absolutely refuse to score runs on days he pitches. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has allowed just one run in 14 innings this season and has 21 strikeouts. He boasts an ERA of 0.64 and has been throwing his fastball an average of 98.5 miles per hour.
In Game 2, the Mets will deploy left-hander Joey Lucchesi for his first start of the year. He has made one appearance this season, throwing two innings in relief against the Phillies and allowing just one hit while striking out three. Lucchesi spent the first three seasons of his career with San Diego, posting a 4.18 career ERA and 3.97 xFIP.
In the limited sample size, the Mets currently rank eighth in the MLB in batting average, sixth in wOBA and seventh in wRC+. Star offseason acquisition Francisco Lindor is hitting just .222 to start his Mets career, and Pete Alonso is batting just .207. But it has been Brandon Nimmo tearing the cover off the ball, batting .464 with 13 hits and a .508 wOBA through eight games.
The Mets will face a pair of right-handed pitchers and have been much better against righties early this year, ranking fifth with a .260 team batting average and second with a .363 on-base percentage against right-handed pitching.
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Colorado Rockies
The Rockies will counter Game 1 with right-handed Chi Chi González. González has been used mostly as an innings-eating reliever this year, making the occasional start when needed.
In his one start this year, he allowed one run and four hits over five innings. In his fifth big-league season, González has a career ERA of 5.03 and xFIP of 5.45. The biggest concern for him is his 5.51 K/9 rate and 1.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He allowed a 46.8 hard hit percentage last year, which spells big trouble in a hitter’s ballpark like Coors Field.
German Márquez will get the ball for Game 2, and it will be the fourth start of the season for the Rockies’ Opening Day starter. Márquez has allowed seven runs over 15 2/3 innings for a 4.02 ERA and 4.89 xFIP. Márquez throws his fastball just 46.4% of the time, relying on his slider (23.6%) and curveball (21.8%).
Second baseman Ryan McMahon has been the only bright spot of this Colorado lineup this year. McMahon sits second in the league with six home runs and enters the weekend with a .306 batting average, .451 wOBA and 169 wRC+.
Mets-Rockies Pick
Most teams struggle against deGrom. But that seems especially likely for a weak Rockies lineup that once again is especially bad against right-handed pitching.
Colorado is hitting just .199 against righties, 26th in the league, and ranks 29th in on-base percentage and wRC+.
In a seven-inning game, there is a good chance we could see deGrom pitch a complete game on six days’ rest. deGrom allowed four or more runs just once in 12 starts last season, and the Rockies will struggle to score against him.
I recommend parlaying the Mets ML in Game 1 and Game 2 if your book allows.
New York will be a big favorite in Game 1, with Game 2 likely being a closer line. Even though the Rockies probably have the pitching advantage with Márquez, they do not have the firepower in their lineup to keep up with the Mets. I expect the Mets to sweep the doubleheader.
Pick: Parlay Mets ML for Game 1 (-286) and Game 2 (-113) at +155.
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