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

The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets square off on Friday with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Citi Field in Queens, New York and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Ian Anderson (9-6, 4.99 ERA) will start for the Braves with Taijuan Walker (9-2, 2.79 ERA) on the mound for the Mets.

Atlanta (63-43) will look to avoid a third consecutive loss after falling in the first of a five-game set on Thursday night. Anderson made 20 starts this season and is coming off a fantastic performance when he threw six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts in a victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Braves have the fourth-best offense in runs per game (4.8), and Austin Riley leads the team in home runs (29) and RBI (68).

New York (67-38) won nine of its last 10 games and increased its lead in the National League East to 4.5 games over the Braves. Walker is putting together a fantastic season through 18 starts, and he’s coming off an outing where he allowed three runs over 5.2 innings against the Miami Marlins. The Mets rank fifth in runs per game (4.7), and Pete Alonso homered in three of his last four games.

Braves vs. Mets

Pitchers: Ian Anderson vs. Taijuan Walker
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Braves local broadcast: Bally Sports Southeast
Mets local broadcast: SNY
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Mets -1.5 (+145)
Run total: 8.5
Moneyline odds: Mets -145, Braves +125

Moneyline pick: Mets -145

These are two very similar offenses, but New York has the edge on the mound with Walker getting the start. He allowed three or fewer runs in nine consecutive games and should put the Mets into a strong position to pick up a win in Game 2 of this series.

Player prop pick: Taijuan Walker Over 4.5 strikeouts (-135)

The Mets starter has a career-low K/9 of 7.0 heading into this matchup, but he should reach five strikeouts in this spot. The Braves strike out 9.3 times per game, which is the third most in the league, and they struck out at least nine times in five straight contests.

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