Mets-Tigers prediction: Picks, odds on Wednesday, May 3

The second game of Wednesday's doubleheader between the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers will get started at 6:40 p.m. ET from Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers entered the day in third place in the AL Central, while the Mets were behind only the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. Max Scherzer (2-1, 3.72 ERA) will make his return from a 10-game suspension for New York, while Detroit starts righty Michael Lorenzen (0-1, 7.07).

New York is a -210 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, making Detroit a +180 underdog with the over/under set at 8.

Mets-Tigers picks: Wednesday, May 3

Mets

Out: RP Brooks Raley (elbow), RP Edwin Uceta (ankle), SP Carlos Carrasco (elbow), OF Tim Locastro (back), C Omar Narvaez (calf), SP Justin Verlander (shoulder), SP Eleiser Hernandez (shoulder), RP Sam Coonrad (lat), RP Edwin Diaz (knee), RP Bryce Montes de Oca (elbow), SP Jose Quintana (ribs), RP Stephen Ridings (shoulder)

Tigers

Out: OF Kerry Carpenter (shoulder), RP Trey Wingenter (shoulder), SP Matt Manning (foot), OF Austin Meadows (undisclosed), SP Beau Brieske (elbow), RP Freddy Pacheco (elbow), SP Tarik Skubal (elbow), SP Casey Mize (elbow)

Max Scherzer vs. Michael Lorenzen

Scherzer's start to 2023 has been waylaid by both a balky back and that dust-up involving a foreign substance on his pitching hand at Dodger Stadium. Prior to his suspension, though, the righty hadn't allowed a run over his last two starts, spanning eight innings of work. His season-long numbers look poor after allowing five runs over 5.1 innings of work against the Milwaukee Brewers last month, but he remains an elite arm.

Lorenzen has put together one solid outing and two bad ones through three starts this season. He allowed five runs against the Milwaukee Brewers and six against the San Francisco Giants. In between those outings, Lorenzen threw five scoreless frames against the Baltimore Orioles.

It's hard to bet on the Detroit offense this season, but it shouldn't need to do too much heavy lifting with the Mets offense set up for success in this spot. Lorenzen has been smacked around quite a bit in year one with the Tigers, and he'll face a lineup that ranks eighth in OBP (.334).

Pick: Over 8

I'm not sure how you could be confident in siding with a struggling Lorenzen against one of the top pitchers in the game, and Scherzer has been in that conversation for a decade. The Tigers bring in the worst offense in the big leagues with 3.3 runs per game.

Pick: Mets

  
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