The Miami Marlins (45-78) aim to end their losing streak against the New York Mets (64-59) in Game 3 of their series on Sunday, August 18 at 12:05 PM ET at Citi Field in Queens, New York. The Mets are becoming moderately favored as their moneyline is at -190.
The Marlins are not making any part of the playoffs this season, as they are 28.0 games behind the leading Philadelphia Phillies. That said, they can still be competitive against the Mets and disrupt their momentum for the remainder of the season.
In this series, they have lost their last three games and are down 0-2 against the Mets. In Game 2, they failed to score a run and were defeated 4-0, with the Marlins allowing one run for the first four innings.
Their momentum has been quite bad, as they are 3-7 over the last 10 games. On top of that, they are 21-39 on the road, and it does not appear they have the consistency to get it done here.
The Marlins produce .237 at the plate and give up .256 to their opponents in return. This spread is not healthy against a team aiming for a playoff run. With Valente Bellozo (2-1, 2.28 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) starting on the mound, they have an excellent opportunity to slow down the Mets.
The Mets are third in the division behind the Phillies and plenty of games ahead of the Marlins. However, they cannot afford to lose momentum against a team with no shot at the playoffs.
After having a solid Game 1 of a 7-3 outing in their favor, they arguably played even better on the defensive end to halt any offense. They must replicate that success to ensure they are on the right path for the playoffs.
They have gone .500 over their previous 10 games, so they have a slightly better outlook for the next 10. They aim to improve at home, as they are currently 33-31.
Paul Blackburn (5-3) takes the mound to start and has an ERA of 4.43 and a WHIP of 1.22. The team puts up an ERA of 4.18, so it's slightly more appealing than the Marlins average.
If you seek the best MLB betting odds, check out MyBookie for the Miami Marlins vs. New York Mets matchup. Currently, the Mets are favored to pull off the sweep. Market insights suggest the Mets have a 65.8 percent chance of winning.
The season series has been close between these two teams, with the Mets winning seven out of 12. However, the Mets are appealing on paper to get the job done.
