The New York Mets will try for their first winning streak of the 2022 MLB season when they play the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Friday night.
The starting pitching matchup is arguably the most intriguing across the baseball board, as former National Max Scherzer squares off against Josiah Gray, one of the blue-chip prospects Washington traded him away for at last year’s deadline.
Can “Mad Max” pick up another win in our nation’s capital, but this time as a visitor, or will youth be served? Find out in our free MLB picks and predictions for Mets vs. Nationals on Friday, April 8.
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Mets vs Nationals odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Mets opened as prohibitive -200 favorites, but the moneyline has since come down to the much more reasonable -160 to -170 range at many sportsbooks.
The total was unveiled at 8.5 runs, with both sides at -110, but betting action has resulted in the Over vig rising to as high as -125. Several sportsbooks are now offering a total of 9.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full MLB odds before placing your bets.
Mets vs Nationals predictions
Picks made on 4/8/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Mets vs Nationals game info
• Location: Nationals Park, Washington, DC
• Date: Friday, April 8, 2022
• First pitch: 7:05 p.m. ET
• TV: Apple TV+
Mets vs Nationals betting preview
Starting pitchers
Max Scherzer (2021: 15-4, 2.46 ERA): After suffering a hamstring “hiccup” during Spring Training, Max Scherzer appears on course to make his first start as a member of the New York Mets this Friday. Owner Steve Cohen broke the bank for Scherzer this offseason, inking him to a three-year, $130 million pact on the heels of an impressive 2021 campaign.
Scherzer’s resume speaks for itself, as the former Nationals ace is a three-time Cy Young winner. Though his pitch count may be limited in this one, the Mets certainly appear to have a leg-up on Washington in the early portion of this game.
Josiah Gray (2021: 2-2, 5.48 ERA): Highly-touted prospect Josiah Gray – part of the haul for the Nats in the Scherzer/Trea Turner trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers – makes his 2022 debut Friday night after a troubled rookie season.
Gray made one start against New York last season and got rocked to the tune of six earned runs on seven hits and a walk in three innings of work. The good news for Gray is that the players responsible for five of the six RBIs he surrendered to the Mets in that September outing are no longer on the enemy roster.
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our MLB weather info.
Key injuries
Mets: Brandon Nimmo (Questionable), Jake Reed (Out).
Nationals: Ehire Adrianza (Out), Carter Kieboom (Out), Will Harris (Out), Seth Romero (Out).
Find our latest MLB injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Nationals are 6-21 in their last 27 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Nationals.
Mets vs Nationals picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
Moneyline bettors should go back to the well with the Mets on Friday night.
Five innings of Max Scherzer – which feels like the potential limit for him due to his hamstring situation – is certainly better than nothing for New York. “Mad Max” was untouchable at times in Nationals Park last season, authoring a 2.32 ERA and .165 opponent batting average over 54 1/3 innings of work.
As they did on Opening Day when Tylor Megill was on the bump first, the Mets should figure out how to cobble four good innings out of their bullpen, as reliever fatigue isn’t currently an issue. Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, and Edwin Diaz all pitched a clean frame on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, the new-look New York lineup should take it to starter Josiah Gray.
Nationals Park was a house of horrors for Gray last year, as he produced a 6.11 ERA over 35 1/3 innings. The Washington bullpen — the second-worst by ERA in the majors last season — should anticipate working overtime in this one.
Prediction: Mets moneyline (-153 at WynnBET)
Over/Under analysis
The Nationals’ familiarity with Scherzer – who is likely operating at less than 100% – could work to their advantage in this situation, and force the Mets to reach deep into their bullpen. As we mentioned before, Washington should also anticipate playing the bullpen game on Friday night.
Josh Bell, Nelson Cruz, and Alcides Escobar have combined to go 23-for-69 (.333) all-time against Scherzer with three homers and 12 RBI, and only 14 strikeouts.
New York typically fares well in April, and two of the new faces it brought in this offseason in Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar fit that profile. Marte hit .310 in April of 2021, while Escobar hit .253 with seven homers and 16 RBI.
Over bettors will want to act quickly and jump at any remaining totals of 8.5 on the board.
Prediction: Over 8.5 runs (-120 at Caesars)
Best bet
While Scherzer is somewhat of a wild card coming into this spot, bettors can be fairly certain that the Mets’ offense will tack on its fair share of runs against the Nats’ subpar pitching staff on Friday night.
A quartet of Mets picked up multiple hits on Opening Day (Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, Mark Canha, and Robinson Cano), and Marte and Escobar are candidates to improve on their one-hit outings from Thursday evening.
It’s difficult to anticipate New York’s arms keeping Washington to one run or fewer again, meaning the Mets’ bats will have to keep their foot on the gas pedal.
Pick: Mets Over 4.5 runs (-130 at BetMGM)
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