Phillies are underdogs without Bryce Harper in series opener vs. Mets

Here's a look at Phillies vs. Mets odds ahead of Tuesday's series opener at Citi Field in New York.

Phillies starter Ranger Suárez pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 24.Read moreJose F. Moreno/ Staff Photographer

Published May 30, 2023, 1:45 p.m. ET

It took two months and 53 games, but the Phillies are finally meeting the Mets for the first time in the 2023 Major League Baseball season.

The three-game series begins Tuesday night at Citi Field in New York, where the Phillies won just twice in nine tries in 2022. The Mets dominated the Phillies last year, winning 14 of the 19 overall meetings between the teams.

The Phillies, coming off a 2-2 series split in Atlanta, are sending Ranger Suárez to the mound for Tuesday’s game.

Here’s a look at Phillies-Mets odds for Tuesday night, which were slightly altered after it was announced that Bryce Harper was not in Philadelphia’s starting lineup.

Odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook and subject to change.

Phillies vs. Mets odds

Money line: Phillies +130; Mets -155

Run line: Mets -1.5 (+135); Phillies +1.5 (-160)

Total: 8.5 runs (over -105; under -115)

Harper being out moved the numbers a bit. The Phillies were originally +115 on the moneyline before they announced their lineup.

Suárez is making his fourth start for the Phillies after his 2023 debut was delayed while the left-hander dealt with a strain in his throwing elbow. The previous three have not gone well, although the Phillies have provided enough offense in two of those three to emerge victorious. Suárez allowed five runs on five hits in five innings Wednesday against Arizona. He has a 9.82 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in 11 innings.

Kodai Senga is scheduled to start for the Mets Tuesday. The 30-year-old rookie came to MLB this season after dominating hitters in Japan for years. Senga is 4-3 with a 3.94 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 48 innings in 2023. He has pitched well in May, striking out 29 batters in 22 innings while surrendering only nine earned runs.

Like the Phillies, the Mets, who had a busy offseason and big plans to compete for a World Series, have been slow out of the gate. They dropped two of three this past weekend in Colorado to fall back to .500 at 27-27.

Though he’s been struggling, the Phillies did manage to avoid Justin Verlander during this three-game set. But they will face Max Scherzer on Thursday afternoon.

The Phillies-Mets series is a meeting of two of MLB’s worst run-line teams in 2023. The Phillies are 21-32 covering run lines while the Mets are 19-35.