New York Mets at Kansas City Royals Betting Preview
It’s an interleague battle on Tuesday, as the New York Mets head to Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City to take on the Royals. Both the Royals and Mets are not going to make the postseason in 2023, and both likely will finish under .500.
The New York Mets are 50-55 on the season, fourth place in the National League East. The Mets are 18 games out of first place in the division and 6.5 games out of a wildcard spot. New York has split their last ten games.
The Kansas City Royals are 32-75 but are on their first three-game winning streak of the entire 2023 season. The Royals swept the Minnesota Twins over the weekend and are now 22 games behind the first-place Twins.
The New York Mets are favorites in this game. The Mets are listed at -162, while the Royals are at +136. The total for this game on Tuesday is listed at 9.5 runs.
Veteran Lefty Goes for the Mets
Jose Quintana will take the mound for the Mets in this one. The 34-year-old lefthander has made just two starts this season after returning from an injury. Quintana is 0-2 in those two starts, with a 3.27 earned run average. He has struck out eight batters over 11 innings but allowed 12 total hits.
The New York Mets have actually won three out of their last four games. With Max Scherzer leaving, the next question is – will Justin Verlander go as well? The Mets veteran right-hander picked up his 250th career win on Sunday as the Mets beat the Nationals 5-2. Verlander and Scherzer were part of a pitching staff that had a team ERA of 4.32 before the trade.
Pete Alonso is still one of the top power hitters in all of Major League Baseball. The Polar Bear has just a .218 batting average but has clubbed 30 home runs on the season and drove in a team-high 75 runs. The Mets’ offense is right in the middle of the pack in almost all categories, including their .238 batting average.
Royals Counter With Veteran of Their Own
For Kansas City, they will also go with a veteran. 39-year-old Zack Greinke will get the nod. Greinke has had a poor season for the Royals, with a 1-11 record and a 5.49 earned run average.
Greinke has struck out just 66 batters over 101.2 innings this season. His last start against Cleveland was a loss, where he allowed just four runs over five innings. Greinke has lost three starts in a row.
The Royals are having a terrible season, but Bobby Witt is putting together a solid one. The Royals shortstop had a game-winning, walk-off grand slam in the win on Saturday. Witt’s numbers are up to .263 on the season, with 18 home runs and 60 runs batted in. Witt leads a team that is hitting just .235 on the season.
The Kansas City pitching staff is one of the worst in all of Major League Baseball. The team has a 5.22 earned run average while starting pitchers have just 21 quality starts on the season. Opponents are hitting .263 against the Royals, which is 26th in all of the league.
Mets Win On Tuesday
Zack Greinke is having a season to forget. No matter what happens, he is just not able to find ways to win. The Royals are playing the best ball of their season, but that’s still not enough here.
The Mets win this game with early offense and enough pitching from Quintana and the bullpen. Take the New York Mets -162 over the Kansas City Royals.
