The second half of the 2026 MLB season begins with a primetime showdown between the Mets (40-57) and the All-Star host, the Philadelphia Phillies (54-43). Philadelphia went 4-2 versus the Mets this season and outscored New York, 34-22 over those two series.Philadelphia has had quite the turnaround during the first half. After firing Rob Thompson following a 9-19 start to the season, the Phillies have gone 43-29 since to position them 2.0 games back of the Braves for the NL East lead. Philadelphia finished June with some hot bats ranking second in runs scored (153) and fourth in home runs (43).New York ended the first half of the season with three-straight losses via a sweep by Boston. The Mets were outscored 13-4 in that series. After the first half of the season, the Mets find themselves 12 games back of a Wild Card spot. The offense hit .234 (26th) with the eighth-fewest runs scored, plus a 4.27 ERA (18th) and the second-fewest saves (16).Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.Weve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.Game details & how to watch Mets at PhilliesDate: Thursday, July 17, 2026Time: 7:00 PM ESTSite: Citizens Bank ParkCity: Philadelphia, PANetwork/Streaming: ESPNNever miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.Odds for the Mets at the PhilliesThe latest odds as of Thursday:Moneyline: New York Mets (+109), Philadelphia Phillies (-131)Spread: Phillies -1.5 (+145), Mets +1.5 (-176)Total: 9.5Probable starting pitchers for Mets at PhilliesThursdays pitching matchup (July 16): Aaron Nola vs. Christian Scott Mets: Christian Scott 2026 stats: 54.0 IP, 2-1, 3.17 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 65 K, 26 BBPhillies: Aaron Nola 2026 Stats: 97.0 IP, 3-6, 5.75 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 102 K, 31 BWhos Hot? Whos NotThe PhilliesBrandon Marshis hitting .301 with 102 hits, 15 home runs and 46 RBI over 339 at-batsThe PhilliesJT Realmutois hitting .206 with 47 hits and 53 strikeouts over 228 at-batsThe MetsJuan Sotois hitting .290 with 80 hits, 21 home runs, and 51 RBI over 276 at-batsThe MetsFransisco Lindoris hitting .216 with 33 hits and 27 strikeouts over 153 at-batsRotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Mets at PhilliesThe Phillies are an MLB-worst 37-60 ATSThe Mets are 42-55 ATS, ranking fourth-worstThe Phillies are 51-41-5 to the Under, ranking fourth-bestThe Mets are 45-44-8 to the OverThe Phillies are 17-29 ATS at home, ranking fourth-worstThe Mets are 20-28 ATS on the road, ranking fourth-worstExpert picks & predictions for tonights game between the Mets and the PhilliesRotoworld Bet Best BetPlease bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursdays game between the Mets and the Phillies:Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Phillies on the Moneyline.Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Phillies at -1.5.Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 9.5Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)