All 30 MLB teams take the field on Friday as the league kicks back into high gear following the All-Star break earlier in the week. Players are rested after getting a few days off and should hit the diamond running into the home stretch of the season.
At 7:10 p.m. in the evening, the New York Mets host the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field for the first matchup of a three-game series.
Here’s a Mets vs. Reds prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s action.
Mets vs. Reds prediction, preview
The New York Mets are 55-42 coming out of the All-Star period. The team sits second in the NL East just half a game shy of the first-place Philadelphia Phillies, so the Metropolitans are very much so in the race to the top. They’ve won seven of 12 games in July thus far and look to capture some momentum here as the season resumes on Friday.
New York ranks 20th in AVG but eighth in OPS and 14th in runs scored. They’re also eighth in home runs on the year behind the power-hitting prowess of Pete Alonso, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo. The former two players each boast a .908 and .905 OPS with 21 and 23 homers apiece as the two best batters on this team. The pitching staff ranks fourth in ERA and ninth in strikeouts but sits 19th in WHIP. The biggest factor heading into the season’s second half? The return of Kodai Senga, who was activated from IL on July 11 and brings an elite 1.39 ERA and 1.13 WHIP to the rotation.
As for the Cincinnati Reds, they’re 50-47 on the year but sit just fourth in the NL Central behind the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals. A very competitive division does hold Cincy back but they’re clearly a pretty good baseball team, all things considered.
The Reds fall middle-of-the-pack in most offensive categories at 16th in AVG, 15th in OPS and 11 in runs scored with the 16th-most homers. Elly De La Cruz is in the midst of another fantastic season while leading the team with 105 hits and 18 homers plus 25 stolen bases. TJ Friedl and Gavin Lux are also putting up some solid numbers as well. The pitching staff comes in at 17th in ERA and 21st in strikeouts but 10th in WHIP.
Mets vs. Reds pick, best bet
DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Mets as -164 favorites on the Moneyline while the Reds are +134 underdogs to win outright. The run total sits at eight.
New York’s lefty Sean Manaea (2.70 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, seven SO) faces off against Cincinnati lefty Nick Lodolo (3.38 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 97 SO). It’s worth noting that Manaea has only appeared in one game so far this season and came out of the bullpen in that one, so there’s a very small sample to base his recent performance off of.
The Reds hit just .224 against lefties this season and Manaea struck out seven batters in just 3.1 innings during his lone appearance of 2025 back on July 13. While he may not stay on the mound deep into this game, he flashed the same upside in that game that he’s shown while healthy in the past.
Since he’s only just returning from injury, his lines are a tad lower than they would be otherwise — bettors can capitalize on that by grabbing 6+ strikeouts at +115 odds for the Mets hurler.
Best bet: Sean Manaea 6+ strikeouts (+115)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
