Mets vs. Marlins (June 24): Will Alcantara stymie the NL East leaders for the second time in a week?

The New York Mets have led the NL East comfortably for much of this season, but with the Atlanta Braves heating up and trying to close the gap, this weekend’s series against the Miami Marlins stands to have a lot more importance than it would have had a few weeks ago.

The Mets entered June with a 10.5-game lead in the NL East, but the Braves, with 18 wins in 21 games this month, have trimmed the deficit to just four games. This weekend, the Braves have three at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the favorite to win this year’s World Series, while the Mets have a trio of games in Miami against the Marlins.

So, it is imperative for the Mets to come away from their trip to Miami with a series win, at minimum. But they face a serious challenge in the opener as they face NL Cy Young Award favorite Sandy Alcantara, who was outstanding against the Mets last weekend at Citi Field.

New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New York Mets (45-26, 21-16 road, 1st in the NL East) vs. Miami Marlins (32-36, 18-14 home, 4th in the NL East)
• Venue & Location: LoanDepot Park (Miami, Florida)
• Date: Friday, June 24, 2022
• Game Time: 6:40 p.m. Eastern Time
• TV Broadcast/Streaming Information: Bally Sports Florida (Marlins), MLB Extra Innings/MLB.TV (subscription packages)

Mets vs. Marlins Pitching Matchup

• New York Mets: Taijuan Walker (2022: 11 starts, 5-2, 2.88 ERA, 59.1 IP, 44 K/17 BB)
• Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (2022: 14 starts, 7-2, 1.72 ERA, 99.1 IP, 90 K/28 BB)

Mets vs. Marlins Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from some of our other top reviewed and recommended sportsbooks are also included in this article.

Moneyline

• New York Mets +116
• Miami Marlins -136

Over/Under

• OVER 7.5 (+100)
• UNDER 7.5 (-122)

Run Line

• New York Mets +1.5 (-182)
• Miami Marlins -1.5 (+150)

Will Alcantara Add Another Gem to His Amazing Run?

These two teams just wrapped a four-game series in New York on Monday, with the Mets taking three of four at home

The lone win for the Marlins came last Sunday, when Alcantara added to his NL Cy Young resume by allowing just two runs, six hits, and a walk and striking out eight in eight innings in a 6-2 win.

Alcantara has gone at least seven innings in his last eight starts, and in that stretch, he is 5-0 with a 0.99 ERA. In 63.2 innings, he has given up just seven earned runs, and he has struck out 53, walked only nine, and given up just 34 hits.

No Marlins pitcher has ever won the NL Cy Young Award, but Alcantara is making a major case for himself with every impressive start. And another strong outing is likely in the cards in this matchup, based on his home splits and his numbers in June.

At home, Alcantara is 4-1 with a 1.36 ERA in seven starts, and his most recent home start saw him toss nine scoreless, walk-less innings and give up only six hits against the Washington Nationals a couple of weeks. And in June, he is 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA in four starts and has given up just four runs (all earned).

New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins Prediction and Best Bets

Mets vs. Marlins Prediction: Marlins to win

Mets vs. Marlins Best Bets: Marlins ML (-136 at BetOnline & MyBookie) & Mets/Marlins UNDER 7.5 (-120 at BetMGM)

Walker was excellent in a win over the Marlins this past Saturday and has given up just two runs, eight hits, and two walks and struck out 19 in 12.2 innings in his last two starts.

If you are going to back the Mets–which is perfectly fine, as they are in first place in the division and have an in-form pitcher on the mound–then there isn’t much that can be said to dissuade you from doing so.

But with how well Alcantara is pitching right now, it’s hard to bet against the guy. The Marlins have one of the worst bullpen ERAs in the league, but when Alcantara is going seven or more innings every time out right now, that lessens the opportunity that the bullpen has to throw the game away.

The best bet of the bunch is without a doubt the under. There have been seven or fewer runs in eight of Walker’s 11 starts this season, including five of his seven road starts. On the other side, there have been seven or fewer runs in nine of Alcantara’s 14 starts, including five of his seven home starts.

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