After the Yankees took care of business out west on Opening Night, the Mets will get the action started in New York when they kick off Thursday’s Opening Day slate against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field.
Reigning National League Cy Young Paul Skenes takes on newly acquired Mets ace Freddy Peralta in a marquee pitching duel. Both stars will attempt to navigate a pair of formidable, reloaded lineups.
First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET. New York enters as a slight -118 home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Pittsburgh sits at -102 on the moneyline. The game total is set at O/U 6.5 runs.
Let’s dive into the top player props for Thursday’s Opening Day showdown in Queens.
Best Player Prop Bets for Pirates vs. Mets
Paul Skenes 7+ Strikeouts (+102)
Last year, a 22-year-old Paul Skenes became the youngest Opening Day starter since Jose Fernandez in 2014. He delivered 5.1 dominant innings in Miami, holding the Marlins to just two runs on three hits, while striking out seven. The flame-throwing right-hander went on to seize the National League Cy Young in unanimous fashion, posting an MLB-best 1.97 ERA while ranking in the league’s top five with 216 strikeouts and a 29.5% K-rate.
He also tallied at least seven strikeouts in 18 of his 32 starts.
Although New York has assembled a talented and disciplined lineup, it still hasn’t concocted an answer for one of the most feared arms in baseball. In two career starts against the Mets, Skenes owns a 2.08 ERA with 14 strikeouts across 13 innings of work. Even superstar slugger Juan Soto is hitless in three at-bats with a pair of Ks against the Pittsburgh phenom.
Francisco Lindor 1+ Hits (-169)
Francisco Lindor is expected to suit up on Opening Day after undergoing hand surgery in early February. New York’s star shortstop famously feeds off the energy at Citi Field, especially when he’s stacked up against right-handed pitching.
The All-Star switch-hitter, 32, hit .267 with an .811 OPS and 31 home runs in 2025. Against righties at home? He crushed nearly half of his homers (15), while his average swelled to .336 and his OPS ballooned to 1.005 — the 14th-highest mark in MLB. No player had more hits against right-handers at home than Lindor’s 74 in Flushing.
Lindor is also on the shortlist of major league batters who have found success against Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Albeit a small sample size, the four-time Silver Slugger has two hits (and no strikeouts) in six career at-bats against the reigning NL Cy Young.
