Mets vs. Giants (May 23): Cobb, Giants to stop skid in opener against NL East leaders

Two of the expected contenders in the National League open a three-game series on Monday evening as the New York Mets visit the San Francisco Giants. In the opener, David Peterson will get the start on the mound for the Mets, while Alex Cobb will get the ball for the Giants.

While the Mets continue to enjoy and expand their healthy lead atop the NL East, the Giants enter this week on a four-game losing streak, which has seen them fall five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

Ending that small skid with this series would be a boost for the Giants, with a ten-game road trip to Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Miami coming up. But a series win won’t come easy, as the Mets are yet to lose a road series this season.

New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New York Mets (28-15, 15-7 road, 1st in the NL East) vs. San Francisco Giants (22-18, 11-10 home, 3rd in the NL West)
• Venue & Location: AT&T Park (San Francisco, California)
• Date: Monday, May 23, 2022
• Time: 9:45 p.m. Eastern Time (6:45 p.m. local time)
• How to Watch Today’s Mets vs. Giants Game: SportsNet New York (Mets), NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants), MLB Extra Innings (subscription package)

Mets vs. Giants Pitching Matchup

• New York Mets: David Peterson (2022: 4 appearances – 3 starts, 1-0, 1.89 ERA)
• San Francisco Giants: Alex Cobb (2022: 6 starts, 3-1, 5.61 ERA)

Mets vs. Giants Odds

Odds are via BetOnline. Odds from our other top reviewed and recommended sportsbooks may also be included in this article.

Moneyline

• New York Mets +126
• San Francisco Giants -148

Over/Under

• OVER 8 (-106)
• UNDER 8 (-114)

Run Line

• New York Mets +1.5 (-170)
• San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+140)

Can San Francisco Steady the Ship Following Surprising Sweep?

After doing the unthinkable and ending the Dodgers’ decade-long reign atop the NL West last season, the Giants are struggling for consistency thus far this season.

There have been win streaks of five, five, and six games, and losing streaks of five and four games. This past weekend, they were surprisingly swept at home by the San Diego Padres, losing one-run games on Friday and Saturday before being routed 10-1 on Sunday.

The MLB season is a long season, and even the best teams will have some inexplicable results along the way. But having to turn around and face the Mets is going to be a stiff test.

When the two teams met at Citi Field last month, the Mets took three of four. Cobb pitched in the opener and allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in 4.1 innings, receiving a no-decision in a 5-4, 10-inning win for the Mets.

The veteran righty is coming off of a rough road start against the Colorado Rockies, in which he allowed seven runs and ten hits in 5.1 innings this past Tuesday. But he picked up the win at Coors Field, thanks to ten runs of support from San Francisco’s bats and 3.2 scoreless innings for the bullpen.

Cobb, who is in his first season in the NL after stints with the Rays, Orioles, and Angels, has had his best starts at AT&T Park this season.

He had a rough one against the Washington Nationals on May 1, in which he allowed four hits, three walks, and five runs (four unearned) in just two-thirds of an inning. But in the other three starts, he has gone at least five innings and allowed two or fewer runs. So,

New York Mets vs. San Francisco Giants Prediction and Best Bets

Mets vs. Giants Prediction: Giants to win

Mets vs. Giants Best Bets: Giants ML (-148 at BetOnline) & OVER 7.5 (-118 at BetUS)

There aren’t too many holes to poke into what the NL East leaders are doing right now. Only the Padres (17-7, .708 winning percentage) and Yankees (14-6, .700 winning percentage) have a higher winning percentage on the road than the Mets (.682) entering today.

But the Mets have won only one of their previous six games following a road win, and they are only 13-13 following a win this season. How does that latter record stack up against the leaders of the other MLB divisions?

• New York Yankees (AL East): 19-10
• Minnesota Twins (AL Central): 16-8
• Houston Astros (AL West): 16-10
• Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central): 16-10
• Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West): 18-8

The number for the Giants is a little shorter than ideal here from a value standpoint, but I do like the Giants to get back into the win column tonight and for the over to hit as well.

It shouldn’t be a run-fest like Cobb’s start at Coors Field was but look for there be to be enough runs to get this one over the line. Neither team sports one of the better bullpens in the league statistically–the Mets (3.63) are 14th in bullpen ERA, while the Giants (3.83) are 19th–so some late runs may well contribute to the cause.