MLB matchup analysis

Astros vs Mets Prediction, Odds and Model Pick

Friday, August 28, 2026 at Citi Field · 7:10 PM ET

Pass

LyDia decision: Pass on Astros vs Mets

Lab Rating
4.6/10
Model lean
Mets 54.0%
Market probability
49.6%
Model edge
+4.4%
Best moneyline
-102
Sportsbooks checked
9
LyDia model
54.0%
Market
49.6%

The case for New York Mets

Why LyDia leans New York Mets
LyDia's model makes New York Mets 54.0% to win. No single factor dominates — the bullpen, recent bats tilt the same way, enough to lean New York Mets even though it does not clear the bar for a high-confidence pick.

The case for Houston Astros

Team strength favors Houston Astros
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's own team-strength model has Houston Astros ahead (46.5% to 46.3%). The pick still comes from New York Mets once the pitcher and bullpen terms are applied.

Why it is not official

Below the 61.0% official gate
Win probability is 54.0%. LyDia does not make a game official below 61.0%, no matter how good the price is. This is a value spot, not a high-confidence winner.
Setup quality below the bar
Lab Rating is 4.6/10, under the 7.2/10 required for an official pick.
Own bullpen carries risk: 6.4/10
The New York Mets bullpen comes in tired. A lead after six innings is less safe than usual.

Why the setup score is what it is

Conviction: 0/10
LyDia's own win probability for New York Mets (54.0%) is close enough to a coin flip that the rating credits little or no conviction -- credit only starts above 55%.
Pitching plan: 16/30
Christian Scott rates 67 on LyDia's pitcher score, judged on its own merits (50-80 is the credited range). That is a strong start on its own, and it earns most or all of the available credit here.
Bullpen: 5.78/10
New York Mets's bullpen carries a real edge over Houston Astros's tonight.
Offense: 23.98/50
New York Mets's recent form does not clearly outpace Houston Astros's.

Why the price is what it is

Team strength: 46.3%
Before any pitcher or bullpen adjustment, LyDia's team-strength model alone makes New York Mets 46.3% to win. Everything below moves the price from this starting point.
Pitcher score gap: 3 points
The pitcher-score gap favors New York Mets by 3 points. This is the biggest single mover of the price -- a large gap moves it a lot, a small gap barely moves it.
Bullpen adjustment: +0.021
The bullpen-fatigue gap between the two pens nudges the price toward New York Mets. This moves the price less than the starting pitchers do, since a starter covers more of the game than the bullpen.
Net effect: 46.3% -> 54.0%
Team strength alone had New York Mets at 46.3%. After the pitcher and bullpen terms, the price is 54.0% -- the same number shown as Model Lean above.
The verdict LyDia passes. The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.
Read the full model output

The combined Lab Rating did not clear the official threshold.

Final result

Astros 3, Mets 1

How the analysis held up

Houston Astros won. LyDia's model favored the other side.

Hunter Brown (No clear pitching-plan edge), the starter LyDia's pitcher score favored, actually outpitched Christian Scott: 6.2 IP, 1 ER (1.35 ERA) against 5.1 IP, 3 ER (5.06 ERA). The edge held up.

The Houston Astros bullpen was flagged as elevated risk pregame (Tired). In relief it actually allowed 0 earned runs over 2.1 innings (0.00 ERA) — the risk read did not show up on the scoreboard tonight.

The New York Mets bullpen was not flagged pregame, but it had a night worth noting: 0 earned runs allowed over 3.2 relief innings (0.00 ERA) — quietly better than the pregame read implied.

New York Mets scored 1, 3.1 fewer than the 4.1 pregame projection.

Likely driver: Christian Scott, the pick's own starter, was rocked for a 5.06 ERA, and the Houston Astros bullpen quietly shut the game down (0.00 ERA over 2.1 innings).

Game information

MatchupHouston Astros at New York Mets
DateFriday, August 28, 2026
First pitch7:10 PM ET
VenueCiti Field
Starting pitchersHunter Brown vs Christian Scott
WeatherGame-time forecast: 78°F, 9% precipitation chance, 3 mph wind from NW.

Starting pitcher matchup

Full Pitcher Matchup Tool →
Hunter BrownAstros · RHP
vs
Christian ScottMets · RHP
MetricAstrosMets
Pitching planTraditional starterTraditional starter
Expected innings5⅓4⅔
ThrowsRR
LyDia pitcher score (higher is better)6567
ERA (lower is better)3.403.52
WHIP (lower is better)1.311.30
K/9 (higher is better)9.410.7
K-BB% (higher is better)11.7%17.0%
K% (higher is better)24.9%27.5%
BB% (lower is better)13.2%10.5%
BB/9 (lower is better)5.04.1
HR/9 (lower is better)1.11.0
Ground-ball rate62.2%39.8%
Fly-ball rate37.8%60.2%

Pitcher edge: LyDia gives Christian Scott a 2-point edge over Hunter Brown, driven mainly by K-BB% (17.0% vs 11.7%) and BB/9 (4.1 vs 5.0).

How to read this: the scorecards above name the starters; every number lives in this table.

Strikeout Projections Full strikeout projections →

Hunter Brown strikeouts
5.1 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · -0.4K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 5.5K · O +126 / U -135 · 3 books
Christian Scott strikeouts
6.2 LyDia projected Ks
No K play · +0.7K difference is below LyDia's 0.7K threshold
Market 5.5K · O -149 / U +140 · 3 books

Same data source as the Pitcher Matchup Tool, where every starter on the slate is compared side by side.

Astros are 4-6 in their last 10 and averaging 4.5 runs per game over the last 15 days; Mets are 5-5 in their last 10 and averaging 3.5 runs per game over the last 15 days. Season run differential separates them by almost nothing (-0.31 against -0.40).

MetricAstrosMets
Last 104-65-5
Last 10 by venue (away team on the road, home team at home)6-4 on the road6-4 at home
OPS, last 15 days0.7080.705
wOBA, last 15 days (hot/cold read)0.3060.311
Runs per game, last 15 days4.53.5
K% last 15 days (lower is better)24.9%24.2%

Last 15 days only. Hot and cold streaks for all 30 teams live on the Stats page.

30-day offense

Full offense tool →
Last 30 daysAstrosMets
OPS0.7250.694
Runs per game4.54 (-0.025 vs szn)3.82 (-0.275 vs szn)
wOBA (model offense input)0.3170.307
K% (lower is better)21.4%24.3% (+1.6% vs szn)

Over the last 30 days the Astros have been the better offense, 0.317 wOBA to 0.307. Mets are striking out at 24.3% over the window — something the opposing starter can lean on.

Season profile

Full Stats page →
MetricAstrosMets
Record67-6760-74
Run differential / game (team quality)-0.31-0.40
Runs scored / game (offense, season)4.564.10
Runs allowed / game (defense, season, lower better)4.874.50
Season OPS0.7290.695
K% season (lower is better)21.7%22.7%
OPS vs opposing hand (season)0.7360.695

Season-long team quality, not recent form. Run differential and run environment come from the season standings; splits for all 30 teams live on the Stats page, including the run environment table.

Every team on today's slate, on any two axes you pick. Astros and Mets are highlighted.

Astros
Combined risk
7.1 Tired
Fatigue
6.5 Tired
Efficiency
3.9 Below average
Mets
Combined risk
6.4 Tired
Fatigue
6.5 Tired
Efficiency
5.2 Average

Risk is what the model actually uses: fatigue blended with how well the pen has pitched. High fatigue with high efficiency is a tired pen that is still getting outs.

MetricAstrosMets
Fatigue6.5/10, Tired6.5/10, Tired
Efficiency3.9/10, Below average5.2/10, Average
Combined risk7.1/10, Tired6.4/10, Tired
Relief innings, last 7 days23.321.7
Back-to-back arms45
7-day ERA5.793.74
7-day WHIP1.371.34

Fatigue measures workload. Efficiency measures recent run prevention. Combined risk is what the moneyline and totals systems use.

Run total projection

Full Totals Projections →
LyDia projection
8.7
Market total
7.5
Projected away runs
3.9
Projected home runs
4.1
Over price
-109
Under price
+100
Houston Astros team total
3.9 projected
Line 3.5 · O -132 / U +110
No team-total lean
New York Mets team total
4.1 projected
Line 3.5 · O -115 / U -104
No team-total lean

The model projects 1.2 runs above the market total. A research lean still requires a setup rating of at least 7.0/10. Team totals remain research-only until their graded sample is established.

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