San Diego Padres vs New York Mets Prediction, 8/18/2026 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: San Diego Padres vs New York Mets

Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Location: Citi Field in Queens, NY

TV: Sportsnet New York

Odds/Point Spread: San Diego (+150) New York (-182)

Citi Field is the location where the New York Mets (56-69) will try to beat the San Diego Padres (67-58) on Tuesday. The moneyline on this contest has San Diego at +150 and New York is at -182. The total is 9. The pitchers taking the mound will be Robbie Ray and Zac Thornton.

As a team, the San Diego Padres are earning 4.3 runs per contest, which ranks them 21st in MLB. They have earned 535 runs scored while holding a team on-base percentage of .314. The Padres have accounted for 183 doubles as a unit and have hit 140 balls out of the park. They have earned 516 runs batted in and 979 hits this season, while their average at the plate comes in at .238. San Diego has a slugging percentage of .390 and have been called out on strikes 1,011 times, while drawing a walk on 426 occasions.

Get all of our MLB Betting Picks

They have earned a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.34 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.31. Padres pitchers have relinquished 137 long balls and 532 runs (11th in baseball). San Diego has surrendered 1,017 hits (8.3 per 9 innings) and also 501 earned runs. The Padres have a team ERA of 4.08 this season (13th in the league), and their staff has struck out 1,015 hitters. Their pitching staff has walked 433 players from the other team and their FIP comes in at 4.17 as a unit this year.

Padres relief pitchers have entered the game with runners on base 118 times in addition to having 139 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen are sitting with 77 holds for the season (8th in the league). The Padres bullpen have recorded a save rate of 71.2% and stepped onto the hill in 132 save situations. They have tallied 37 saves over the course of the season and have not converted 15 of their 52 save opportunities. The relievers have inherited 199 runners this year and 32.2% of them crossing the plate. The Padres have sent 422 relief pitchers to the hill on the season.

The San Diego Padres have earned 3,315 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,100 assists and 53 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .988 which has them sitting 4th in MLB, and they have turned 101 double plays. The Padres have transformed 70.2% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 9,945 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 13th in professional baseball.

Ray has taken the mound for 1,450 innings and has tallied 1,740 K's thus far in his career. Ray (88-82 career record) is the owner of a FIP of 3.89 while he has faced 6,139 batters during his time in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.95 (637 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.293. He has given up 1,259 base hits (7.8 hits per nine innings) and has had 616 walks.

The New York Mets have an on-base percentage of .307 as well as a batting average of .236 so far this year. They have struck out on 1,066 instances (11th in the league) and have tallied 991 base hits. New York has hit 152 home runs for the year to go along with 500 RBIs. The Mets hold a team slugging percentage of .390 and they average 4.18 runs per contest (22nd in the league). They have put up 157 doubles, while getting a free base 405 times as well as earning 523 runs.

The Mets are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.299 in addition to having a FIP of 3.99 as a team on the season. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 9.10 (1,126 strikeouts vs 442 walks). They are sitting at 13th in the league as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,003. They have allowed 135 homers and they surrender 4.57 runs per 9 innings (19th in MLB). The New York pitching staff have given up 565 runs this season while holding a team ERA of 4.09 (506 earned runs allowed).

They are currently ranked 17th in the league with a save percentage of 62.2%, and they have dispatched 380 bullpen pitchers onto the diamond over the course of the season. Their relief pitchers have come in 126 times in high leverage situations and also on 117 occasions with base runners. With 88 save situations, the Mets have amassed 50 holds and 14 blown saves. New York has called on relievers to enter the contest in 37 save chances and they have earned 23 saves. New York bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 28.4% out of 162 inherited base runners.

The New York Mets have gotten 77 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .982 (28th in MLB). The Mets have racked up 988 assists, 81 errors and have a tally of 3,338 putouts during this campaign. In 10,014 innings on the field, the Mets have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 69.4% (21st in MLB).

Thornton (3-3 career win-loss record) is the owner of a 2.79 earned run average while conceding 7.4 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.23 and he has faced 177 batters in his career. He has allowed 14 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.109 and having a FIP of 2.8. So far in his pro baseball career, Thornton has conceded 37 base knocks while he has earned 29 K's in 45 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take New York (-182)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get MLB picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.