Media by Associated Press – New York Mets’ relief pitcher Trevor Maylow-fives first baseman Pete Alonso after they defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Monday starts the final two weeks of the MLB regular season. So far, only the LA Dodgers and Houston Astros have clinched playoff spots, leaving ten slots available. The New York Mets can join them as early as Monday, while the New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves are also close to clinching.
Let’s take a look at the top three teams to bet on for Monday’s action, with only nine games on the schedule.
New York Mets
The Mets have won four games in a row as they attempt to hold off the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. They still have a one-game lead over the defending champions as they travel to face the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.
The Brewers are in a Wild Card battle themselves after taking two of three from the Yankees, and they are now two games behind Philadelphia for the final NL playoff spot.
Monday should be a great pitching matchup with Max Scherzer on the mound for the Mets and Corbin Burnes going for the Brewers. Scherzer has allowed one run in each of his last two starts but didn’t get a win in either outing. Burnes allowed three runs over seven innings in a loss at St. Louis in his last start.
Both pitchers are strikeout machines, but the Mets have the better bullpen. The Brewers have allowed four runs or more in six of their last ten games. New York is 64-44 against RHP this season and 14 games above .500 on the road.
The Mets have the advantage in hitting, fielding, and the bullpen against the Brewers. The starting pitching is a wash, so the Mets at -105 on the money line is the way to go as New York clinches a playoff spot with a win.
Atlanta Braves
Staying with a NL East contender, the Atlanta Braves are coming off a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies. Monday, they start a home series with the last-place Washington Nationals. The pitching matchup is a huge mismatch with 18-5 Kyle Wright going for Atlanta and 0-2 Cory Abbott on the mound for the Nats.
Washington is 40 games behind the Braves in the standings and just playing out the season at this point. The Braves are 50-25 at home and have one of the best records in baseball since the All-Star break. They are gearing up to defend their title in October and still have a good chance to win the division.
The Braves have dominated the Nationals this season, winning nine of the last ten games. They have scored at least five runs in seven of those games and eight or more in five of the wins. Look for the Braves to win on Monday and cover the run line against the lowly Nats.
Cleveland Guardians
The Minnesota Twins got a win in the series on Sunday, but prior to that, the Cleveland Guardians won eight straight in the series. Those head-to-head results have the Guardians in first place in the AL Central. The Twins are now six games behind, with the Chicago White Sox in second place, 3.5 games behind Cleveland.
The five-game series in Cleveland ends on Monday afternoon with Guardians RHP Cal Quantrill (12-5) against Twins RHP Sonny Gray (8-4). Quantrill already owns two wins against the Twins this season, including one just ten days ago.
Cleveland was shutout 3-0 on Sunday, but they have been swinging the bats well in September. Oscar Gonzalez is hitting .355 with four homers and 13 RBI in the last 15 games, while Myles Straw is batting .351 and Amed Rosario .300. Jose Ramirez has five extra-base hits and 14 runs scored in the last 15 games as Cleveland moves toward the playoffs.
The Guardians are -110 on the money line for Monday and can take a big step toward the AL Central title before starting a series in Chicago on Tuesday.
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