Moneyline pick, best player prop for Mets vs. Nationals on Friday

Max Scherzer vs. Juan Soto. One of the best pitcher-batter matchups in MLB will be a part of Friday night’s game between the Mets and Nationals, airing live exclusively on AppleTV+.

All odds come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Mets vs. Nationals, 7:05 p.m. ET on Apple TV+

Run line: Mets -1.5 (+105), Nationals +1.5 (-125)
Total: O/U 9
Moneyline odds: Mets -170, Nationals +150

ML pick: Mets -170

So much has been written this week about how the Mets’ season is already off the tracks in the wake of ace Jacob deGrom being shut down with a shoulder injury. But it’s not like the cupboard is empty behind him in New York’s rotation; there’s a three-time Cy Young Award winner behind him now. Scherzer dealt with a hamstring injury in recent days, but he has been cleared to start Friday’s game versus the team he played for from 2015-20. The Nationals have a couple of dangerous bats in Nelson Cruz and Josh Bell behind Soto, but the rest of the lineup looks very weak. He shouldn’t have much of an issue navigating that order and receive plenty of support from Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, etc.

Player prop: Pete Alonso over 0.5 home runs (+260)

Alonso went 2-4 in the Opening Day win for the Mets but did not go yard. He hit five of his 37 home runs last season against the Nationals, so he’s familiar with this club. The slugger has been highly successful at the plate against Washington, making this a nice plus-money prop for bettors in Friday’s contest.

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