The New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers continue the NLCS with a Game 2 matinee.
The pregame narrative: L.A. left no doubt in the series opener, securing a 9-0 victory to move three wins away from the NL pennant. I expect New York to respond and am backing its leadoff man, Francisco Lindor, to score as my best bet.
Check out my Mets vs. Dodgers prop picks for Game 2 of their NLCS matchup on Oct. 14.
Mets vs. Dodgers prop picks
MLB markets: Click Here | MLB stats: Click Here
Best bet: Lindor to score (-121)
Let’s shine some light on Los Angeles’ pitching staff just so it’s clear what we’re betting against.
The Dodgers have not allowed a run in 33 straight innings. That ties the 1966 Baltimore Orioles for the longest streak in postseason history. They’ve only allowed 14 hits during this stretch and five in the last two games.
Something has to give, right?
L.A. doesn’t have a set starter for Game 2 and is instead turning to its bullpen. That worked to perfection against the San Diego Padres in a must-win Game 4 of the NLDS. That said, I think Lindor can be the spark plug New York needs to get on the board.
The shortstop is likely to finish second to Shohei Ohtani for NL MVP honours thanks to a red-hot second half.
Lindor slashed .306/.368/.574 since the all-star break with 44 runs scored (11th-most in MLB). He’s crossed the plate six times in eight playoff games and is reaching safely at a respectable .368 clip.
Prior to being shut out in Game 1, the Mets were averaging 5.42 runs across seven playoff games. For context, the Arizona Diamondbacks led the majors with 5.47 runs per game this season.
I expect their offence to break out on Monday, even with how good the Dodgers’ pitching has been.
Key stat: Lindor has scored in seven of his last 10 games.
Quick picks
Hernandez over 0.5 hits (-130): Kiké Hernandez has that dog in him.
The Dodgers’ utility man is nothing special in the regular season. A solid player, to be fair, but definitely not a game-changer.
Hernandez has a career 92 OPS+ (100 is league-average) to pair with a .238/.308/.405 slash line. He had a 0.7 fWAR this year, which ranked 454th among all MLB players.
But in the playoffs, he’s a different beast.
Hernandez has a .900 OPS across 76 postseason games. He is 28-for-70 (.400 BA) since the 2021 postseason and has a hit in three of four playoff appearances this year. That includes a crucial home run in Game 5 of the NLDS.
The one worry is that he is just 1-for-11 against New York starter Sean Manaea. But he only has two strikeouts in those meetings and I like his chances of putting the ball in play today.
Picks made at 10:29 a.m. ET 10/14/2024.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.