New York Mets vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions 4/22/22

New York Mets (10-4) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (5-8)

When: 9:40 p.m., Friday, April 22

Where: Chase Field, Phoenix

Moneyline: NYM -130/ARI +110 (BAS – Underdogs pay more and favorites cost less!)

Runline: Mets -1.5/Diamondbacks +1.5

Total: 8.5

Starting Pitchers: David Peterson (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) vs. Zac Gallen (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.75

WHIP)

Responding to Pressure

One of the toughest parts of having success in baseball is handling the pressure, as trying to do too much usually backfires hard on the team dealing with expectations. The Mets are proving to be an exception to that adage so far, as they’re off to a flying 10-4 start to the 2022 season. The offense has mostly done its job for New York, but it’s really been the Mets’ pitching staff that has done the job to this point.

New York has held opposing hitters to a .186 batting average and has fanned 143 hitters to date, leading to an 0.97 WHIP and a 2.52 ERA. For the year, the Mets have held nine of their 14 opponents to three runs or less, and they held the Diamondbacks to a mere six runs in three games when the teams faced off in Queens earlier in the season. As long as the Mets’ pitchers are performing to their usual standards, there’s a good chance they can keep the D-Backs off balance and make this a lower-scoring game, they have the big advantage.

Cannot Connect

The Mets might be hitting the ball pretty well, but the Diamondbacks are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Arizona has hit just .176 and scored 37 runs on the season — and that’s after the Diamondbacks scored 11 runs in one game on Wednesday against the Nationals. Throughout the lineup, only Seth Beer, David Peralta and Pavin Smith are hitting the ball above a .200 clip. Everyone else is struggling badly, and the Diamondbacks don’t really get much in the way of extra base hits unless the ball actually leaves the yard.

With just 35 RBIs on the season, Arizona isn’t doing enough at the plate to manufacture runs, nor do they have enough power in their bats to simply hit them in. The Diamondbacks either have to find a way to start cashing in against starting pitchers by stringing a few hits together or they have to find a way to turn their singles into doubles so that they start getting runners in scoring position. Right now, what Arizona is doing at the plate simply isn’t working.

Repeat Appearance

So far, David Peterson has seen both the good and the bad with the schedule, as he’s faced one team who hits left-handed pitching very well and another who doesn’t really handle lefties well at all. This now marks the second time that Peterson will face Arizona, which only managed to scratch out three hits against him.

Peterson isn’t likely to go for more than four innings, so the Mets are going to need to get some bullpen help to get the job done here. But if the bullpen does its job, New York likely has the right matchup to snag another win here.

Betting Trends

• The Mets are 13-3 in their past 16 games as a favorite.
• The Mets are 5-1 in their past six series openers.
• The Diamondbacks are 4-10 in their past 14 games against the NL East.
• The Diamondbacks are 2-6 in their past eight home games against a left-handed starter.
• The under is 4-1-1 in the Mets’ past six series openers.
• The under is 11-4-1 in the Mets’ past 16 games against the NL West.
• The under is 5-1 in the Diamondbacks’ past six games overall.
• The under is 5-1-1 in the Diamondbacks’ past seven home games.
• The over is 4-1-1 in the past six meetings in Arizona.
• The Mets have won 11 of their past 13 matchups against the Diamondbacks.

Weather Report

With temperatures at 73 degrees in Phoenix, expect the Diamondbacks to leave the roof open for this one. That means wind can become a factor, as 15 MPH winds will push balls out toward the right-field foul pole.

Dan’s Pick

Given New York’s pitching prowess and recent mastery of the Diamondbacks, getting them at this kind of price offers excellent value, even if the Mets are on the road. Arizona just isn’t hitting against anyone, lefty or not, and Peterson should be able to build on his past performance against the D-Backs to keep them off-balance from the beginning of this one. Bet your MLB picks for FREE this week by taking advantage of one of many 100% bonuses offered on our sportsbook bonuses page!