“Wheeler’s Last Stand: Can He Save Phillies from Mets’ Sweep?”

In today’s lineup of MLB clashes, value’s a bit like a phantom draft pick in fantasy baseball—looks good on paper, but does it deliver? We’ve got a couple of ballgames that mesh well, but few really stand out on today’s betting card. Yet, there’s always room for some intrigue, some betting leverage if you will, especially in a game that pits two rivals who know each other’s playbook back-to-back. The Philadelphia Phillies, seasoned contenders but not entirely hitting their stride early in the frantic NL East, face off against the surging New York Mets.

Frustration’s the name of the game for the Phils these days, after dropping the first two in this tight divisional series. With the NL East tougher than a lineup full of sluggers, staying competitive isn’t just about fan fare; it’s about survival. Remarkably, amidst concerns about their recent form, the Phillies might have a shot here, banking heavily on their ace, Wheeler, to not only bounce back but deliver a standout performance that outpaces the young, yet promising, Peterson of the Mets.

Mets fans, on the other hand, should be grinning like a team that’s out-performed expectations. Oh sure, they’ve had their headline acquisition not quite blasting homers out of the park yet, but winning games early? That’s what talks. Peterson’s solid, no doubt, but can he keep the Phils in check today?

Dive deeper into the nuances of this early-season skirmish and uncover the trends. Can the Phillies tread water or will the Mets’ depth at last shine through? Ladies and gentlemen, lace up; this showdown starts at 1:10 ET. LEARN MORE.

Phillies vs. Mets, 1:10 ET

While the agenda is packed for today’s slate, there aren’t too many value games on the agenda. There are some good ones, don’t get me wrong, but there aren’t a ton that fit into my category of being either an obvious total play, or a game that has the two teams with a moneyline of -135 or lower for a favorite play. That does give some value on quite a few dogs, and I’ve already looked at one for today. This one is a game between the Phillies and Mets as we go back to a battle between the divisional rivals.

The Phillies have to be looking at this series rather frustrated. There are a lot of good teams in the NL East and Philadelphia is certainly one of them. I’ve mentioned this before, but you can’t win a Wild Card or Division in March or April, but you certainly can position yourselves to lose it. The Phillies aren’t looking like they will be out of the running but their record could use some improvement at just 13-11 for the season. The good news for them is that aside from the Mets, no one in the division is doing well. The bad news is that there are a ton of teams in the NL West that could make the playoffs and keep them out of it. I concede it is far too early to really, truly worry about this, though. Today, they look to Zack Wheeler to get them a victory before they head out of New York. Wheeler has been typical, which is to say he has been great. He is 2-1 with a 3.73 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Mets hitters are familiar with him and have had reasonable success.

For the Mets, you really couldn’t ask for a much better start to the season. You make a huge splash signing a monster hitter to add to your lineup that made it to the NLCS last season, and you’re actually winning games to start the year. The biggest, and perhaps best part of this whole thing is that Juan Soto, the aforementioned huge splash, isn’t even playing that well. I wouldn’t have classified the Mets as a team with a ton of room for error, but they have been as good as you could hope for despite early season Soto struggles. A lot of that success is credited to the pitching staff who has David Peterson representing them today. Peterson is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP. Similar to Wheeler, Phillies hitters should know what is coming against Peterson, but haven’t had a ton of success. 

This should be a fairly tight game, but there is a reason one of these guys is an Ace and the other is just a guy. The Phillies need a win here to feel good about themselves after dropping the first two games. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this game go under, but I’m taking the Phillies to avoid the sweep behind Wheeler. Play the first five if you’re nervous. 

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