The Atlanta Braves are set to host the New York Mets with one week left in the 2022 MLB season. The upcoming three-game series has serious playoff implications and could ultimately decide the NL East champion.

The Mets have the edge in the NL East race. New York is one game ahead of Atlanta in the standings and owns a 9-7 advantage in the season series. Only the Mets have a chance to clinch the division title this weekend, though several scenarios exist for the three-game set.

If the Mets sweep the Braves, New York wins the NL East and Atlanta is locked into the first wild-card berth. The second-place finisher in the NL East is guaranteed to finish atop the NL wild-card standings.

A sweep for the Braves would give Atlanta a two-game lead and put them on the verge of winning the NL East. Atlanta can only win the season series, and thus the tiebreaker, against the Mets by pulling off a sweep at Truist Park this weekend.

The Mets can leave Atlanta with a two-game lead in the division by taking two games against the Braves, In that scenario, New York would only need one win or an Atlanta loss in the final three games of the season in order to win the division.

If the Braves beat the Mets twice, the two teams will leave Atlanta with identical records. New York would technically be in first place via the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Mets have -350 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook to win the NL East. The Braves have +280 odds to finish in first place.

Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are scheduled to start for the Mets in the first two games of the series. The multiple-time Cy Young winners have a combined 2.36 ERA in 198 innings this season.

Max Fried and his 2.50 ERA will start for the Braves against deGrom and the Mets. Kyle Wright will go for his 21st win of the season against Scherzer on Saturday.

Following the series in Atlanta, the two teams will have one final three-game series before the playoffs. The Braves are scheduled to play on the road against the Miami Marlins. The Mets finish the season with three games at home against the Washington Nationals.

Even though both teams are in the playoffs, winning the NL East comes with a major advantage. The second-place team in the division must play a three-game series in the wild-card round of the postseason. The NL East champion earns a bye and automatically advances to the NLDS.

The Braves have won four straight NL East titles. Atlanta made its second straight NLCS appearances last year on the way toward winning the World Series.

The Mets last won the division in the 2015 season. It was also the last time New York won a playoff game.

The NL East is the only divisional race that hasn't been decided.

Max Scherzer New York Mets
Max Scherzer #21 of the New York Mets in action against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field on May 18, 2022 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Cardinals 11-4. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)