MLB picks: Diamondbacks vs. Mets, Blue Jays vs. Astros

There’s a full slate of MLB games available this Friday, and we’ve crunched the numbers to come up with our two best bets for the evening!

First up is a look at the series opener between the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets. Then we’ll highlight a meeting between the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros.

Arizona Diamondbacks (15-16) at New York Mets (13-13), 7:10 p.m. ET

Runs should be a precious commodity in the series opener between the Diamondbacks and Mets at Citi Field on Friday night.

Zac Gallen gets the call for visiting Arizona, and he’s fresh off his worst outing of the year as he allowed four earned runs in only four innings of work against the Colorado Rockies. However, that effort came at home, and Gallen has been much better on the road since 2020.

He sported a 2.31 ERA and .189 opponent batting average in six road starts last year. In Gallen’s first two performances away from home this season, he owns a 2.13 ERA and .119 opponent batting average.

The Mets managed to score some runs during a winning road trip (4-3), but their 17 runners left on base in Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals suggests that their moribund bats (3.38 runs per game, 29th) have yet to truly turn the corner.

Countering for New York is David Peterson, who’s never faced the D-backs before. If he pitches like he did in his first two starts at home in 2021 (2.25 ERA, .171 opponent batting average), Arizona will have a hard time generating runs.

Peterson is backed by a bullpen that’s second in ERA (2.17) over the last two weeks.

MLB pick: Under

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Toronto Blue Jays (16-14) at Houston Astros (16-15), 8:10 p.m. ET

After enduring a hostile environment at Yankee Stadium this week, the Astros should relish a return trip to Houston as they host Ross Stripling and the Blue Jays on Friday night.

Stripling has struggled in his first three starts of the season, producing a 6.39 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. Yordan Alvarez, who’s batting .421 over the last two weeks (21-for-38) with three home runs, should lead the charge on offense for the ‘Stros.

Jose Urquidy will toe the rubber for Houston. He’s fresh off his finest effort of the campaign, as he blanked the Tampa Bay Rays through seven frames at Tropicana Field. This offers hope of a return to his 2020 form in which he recorded a 2.73 ERA and .206 opponent batting average.

Trend bettors should note that Toronto is 5-12 in their last 17 games as a road underdog, and 22-45 in their last 67 road games against teams with a winning records.

The Astros are 7-1 in their last eight home games against teams with winning records, and 20-6 in their last 26 home games following a road trip of seven or more days.

MLB pick: Astros -139