- What: MLB National League Championship Series Game
- When: October 16, 2024
- Who: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets
- Time: 5:08 p.m. PST
- Where: Citi Field (Queens, NY)
The New York Mets host the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third National League Championship Series game.
They responded strongly in the second game of the NLCS, securing a four-run win over the Dodgers following a tough 9-0 loss in the series opener.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers have split their first two games against the Mets in the NLCS, and they are hoping that pitcher Walker Buehler will deliver a strong performance on Wednesday in Queens to regain home-field advantage.
Walker Buehler for Game 3. #NLCS pic.twitter.com/gHYMPZWQmb
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 16, 2024
Although the Dodgers’ bullpen has a 3.15 postseason ERA, they have already had to use two bullpen games in this playoff run. From July 1 until the end of the regular season, they ranked 15th with a 4.03 ERA.
They are relying on their potent lineup to support Buehler. This season, they averaged 5.2 runs per game, the best among playoff teams, including a league-best 5.5 on the road during the regular season.
One area where the Dodgers have excelled in this series is drawing walks. In their win, Los Angeles walked seven times and drew eight walks in game two. The ability to draw walks should create additional scoring opportunities due to having runners on base.
New York Mets
Luis Severino, the Mets starting pitcher, aims to continue his strong performance at Citi Field on Wednesday. At home, he has an impressive 2.96 ERA, compared to 4.94 ERA allowed on the road.
Severino has demonstrated that he performs better at home. However, he has yet to make a postseason start at home. Throughout the regular season, his ERA was more than two runs better at home, he allowed fewer hits, and opposing teams hit for less power.
NLCS baseball will be played at this place tonight pic.twitter.com/qOwx8EqnF7
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) October 16, 2024
The Mets were among the top teams in the majors in runs per game at home during the regular season, averaging 4.8 runs. They have shown their ability to come up big in late innings, scoring 23 runs in their past seven games from the sixth inning onward.
Francisco Lindor, the Mets’ standout shortstop, continues to deliver crucial performances. With Lindor in top form, the Mets pose a significant threat to win games, thanks to his clutch performances this postseason.
His home run in the second game of the NLCS contributed to the Mets’ victory, and he has maintained strong form with six hits and two homers in his last five games.
Mets-Dodgers Best Bet
The weather in New York today doesn’t seem conducive to high-scoring games. The temperature is forecasted to be around 50 degrees at game time, along with some wind.
The Dodgers will be playing their first cold-weather game since April, so it will be interesting to see how their bats perform in these conditions.
This should be a tremendous advantage for the Mets. Yet, oddsmakers have favored the Dodgers slightly in this matchup. The Dodgers on the moneyline are at -115, while the Mets are -105.
These odds don’t align with my analysis, the Mets are the best bet at -105.
Will the Dodgers seize control of the NLCS against the Mets?
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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
