Mets vs. Braves – Aces Collide as Santana takes on Lowe

Spectacular Santana, Streaking Mets, To Battle Veteran Lowe, Braves Tonight

The red-hot New York Mets (17-13 SU, 13-17 RL, 14-13-3 O/U) will look to keep their winning streak alive when they host the Atlanta Braves (15-16 SU, 13-18 RL, 13-17-1 O/U) at Citi Field tonight at 7 PM ET.

The Braves won their second consecutive game on Sunday, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 as a +135 underdog while the six combined runs checked in Under the10.5-run O/U total in the BetOnline Sportsbook.

First baseman Casey Kotchman went 3-5 with three RBI for Atlanta.

The Mets won their eighth consecutive game on Sunday, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-4 as a -160 favorite on Sunday while the 12 combined runs played Over the 9.5-run O/U total.

Second baseman Luis Castillo and catcher Omir Santos both went 2-4 with a pair of RBI for New York.

Tonight, the Braves will give the ball to ace right-hander Derek Lowe (4-1, 3.98 ERA) while the Mets counter with southpaw ace Johan Santana (4-1, 0.91 ERA) in a battle of two of the best hurlers in the game.

Lowe won his third straight start his last time out, despite allowing six runs on seven hits over five innings in an 8-6 road win over Florida on Wednesday.

Lowe and the Braves will battle Santana, who has allowed just four earned runs in 39.2  inning this season.

Opponents are batting just.168 against Santana after he limited Philadelphia to two hits over seven innings in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Philadelphia.

Here is a look at tonight’s key betting trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and MLB Free Pick.

• The Braves are 4-1 in Lowe’s last 5 starts during game 1 of a series.
• The Braves are 5-2 in Lowe’s last 7 starts.
• The Mets are 9-1 in Santana’s last 10 starts with 4 days of rest.
• The Mets are 8-1 in Santana’s last 9 home starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
• The Over is 5-1 in Lowe’s last 6 starts overall.
• The Over is 5-1 in Lowe’s last 6 starts on grass.

MLB Odds:

• Braves +1½ -135
• Derek Lowe –R +170
• Mets -1½ +115
• Johan Santana –L -200
• Over 7 -110
• Under 7 110

Analysis: While I’ve always like the Braves’ Derek Lowe, he and his Braves teammate are in for a ling night as Johan Santana has been nearly unhittable all season long and the Mets are hitting the ball very well lately.

This pick is pretty simple BetOnline MLB sports betting enthusiasts as the Mets are the correct pick to win and cover the Run Line.

MLB Free Picks: New York Mets -1½ Runs/Under 7 Total Runs