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In Game 1 of their National League Wild Card series with the Mets, it was the Milwaukee Brewers who looked short on rest despite having the extra day to prepare.

The Mets, meanwhile, showed no signs of an emotional hangover one day after playing a playoff-clinching doubleheader against the Braves.

The lines for Wednesday’s Game 2 opened as a pick’em. Negligible movement has occurred toward Milwaukee since, but the market isn’t valuing the Brewers nearly enough as perhaps it should with their season on the brink.

The handle and sharp money are leaning heavily in the Brewers’ direction. 

(7:38 p.m., ESPN)

Milwaukee relinquished two leads in Tuesday’s Game 1 without having sacrificed a home run, a primary reason the Mets are playing in October. 

Yes, the Mets were disciplined at the plate by taking walks and executed aggression on the bases.

But this shouldn’t be viewed as a sustainable formula against a Milwaukee staff that can throw consistent strikes (No. 7 overall in zone percentage) and contain hits (fourth-lowest BABIP).

Sean Manaea gets the Game 2 start for the Mets, while Milwaukee will go with Frankie Montas. It’s the same pitching matchup from last Friday, a game that saw Manaea cough up a grand slam to Rhys Hoskins in the first inning.

Although that blast was off of his primary-pitch sinker, Manaea harnesses issues across much of his arsenal by suppressing hard contact when pitches are left hanging over the plate. 

The Brewers are not the most dangerous contact team, but the matchup of right-handed hitting against lefty pitching offers plenty of upside to all four of the Brewers’ top power hitters.

Hoskins, Willy Adames, William Contreras and Jackson Chourio are all right-handed hitters in the 20-plus home run club.

Although taking steps in the right direction since arriving in Milwaukee at the trade deadline, Montas isn’t the same pitcher he used to be.

However, the Brewers managed to save several key relievers for Game 2, including Jared Koenig, set-up man Trevor Megill and closer Devin Williams. 

Milwaukee finished 2024 as the second-most aggressive swinging team in baseball behind the Yankees. 

Let’s look for those bats to seek more early contact against Manaea, while the bullpen corrects Tuesday’s sloppy singles fest. 

Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.