Phillies vs. Mets: Picks, predictions, how to watch Friday’s game

Apple TV+ will host Friday’s matchup between the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET at Citi Field in Queens, New York. Ranger Suarez (8-5, 3.68 ERA) will throw for the Phillies with Max Scherzer (8-2, 1.98 ERA) on the mound for the Mets.

Philadelphia (62-49) had a seven-game winning streak snapped on Thursday with a 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins as it gets ready for a three-game set in New York. Suarez will make his 20th start of the season and allowed three runs over 5.1 innings in Saturday’s start against the Washington Nationals. The Phillies rank fifth in slugging percentage (.423), but their top power hitter Kyle Schwarber left Thursday’s game with a mild calf strain.

New York (73-39) has the second-best record in the MLB as it looks for a seventh straight victory. Scherzer made 15 starts in his first season with the Mets and is coming off a fantastic performance when he threw seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in a win over the Atlanta Braves. The Mets score 4.9 runs per game, which ranks No. 3 in the MLB, and Pete Alonso’s 96 RBI rank No. 2 in all of baseball.

Phillies vs. Mets

Pitchers: Ranger Suarez vs. Max Scherzer
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Live stream: Apple TV+ website, Apple TV+ app

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Mets -1.5 (+105)
Run total: 7
Moneyline odds: Mets -215, Phillies +185

Moneyline pick: Phillies +185

The payout is far too high to not bet on Philadelphia with incredible value in this spot. Before giving up three runs in his game, Suarez did not allow a run in three consecutive starts, which was over a span of 16 innings of work. Both offenses rank inside the top seven, and it feels like this one could go either way so let’s side with the underdogs with the high payout.

Player prop pick: Ranger Suarez Under 4.5 strikeouts (-165)

The Phillies starter does not strike out a ton of hitters with a 7.6 K/9 through a significant sample size in 2022, and the Mets do not have a lineup that strikes out a lot. New York strikes out the fourth-fewest times per game (7.6) this season.

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