Blake Krass gives his preview, pick and prediction for Friday’s MLB matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets.

The Mets are taking on the Giants on Friday night at Oracle Park. First pitch is set for 10:15 p.m. ET. The Mets are starting Nolan McLean, and the Giants are starting Tyler Mahle.

New York is a -136 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while San Francisco sits at +113 on the Moneyline. The game total is set at O/U 7.5 runs.

Giants vs. Mets Preview

Mets Preview

The Mets’ bats have gone ice cold since an incredible Opening Day. The Mets put up 11 runs in that first game of the season, running it up on Paul Skenes of all people. Since that fantastic offensive showing, the Mets are averaging just 2.3 runs per game. The Mets have rattled off three straight losses and are now below .500 on the season. It is still far too early to hit the panic button, but the Mets need to get their lineup on the same level as their solid pitching staff.

Nolan McLean will be on the bump for the Mets. It has been a whirlwind of a past 12 months for McLean. He got called up to the big leagues for eight starts in 2025 and was absolutely fantastic. McLean finished with a 5-1 record and a 2.06 ERA. That ended up earning him a spot on Team USA, where he played a major role in the team’s trip to the World Baseball Classic final. McLean had a solid first start of the season, giving up two runs in five innings of work.

Giants Preview

The Giants got swept by the Yankees to open the season, but have gone 3-1 since that rough start. San Francisco’s rookie catcher Daniel Susac showed signs of great promise last night, going 3/4 in his second career MLB game. Luis Arraez and Rafael Devers have also gotten off to strong starts at the plate for San Francisco. However, it has been the pitching staff leading the way for the Giants the last few days. The Giants’ team ERA ranks 9th in the MLB, despite the early struggles against the Yankees.

Tonight, Tyler Mahle will be making his second start of the season. Mahle gave up two runs in just four innings of work in his first start against the Yankees. Mahle’s biggest issue the past few years has been staying healthy. He made 16 starts for the Rangers last year, but combined for just eight starts in the two seasons prior to that. The Giants will be hoping that Mahle can stay healthy to be a consistent veteran arm in this rotation.

Giants vs. Mets Pick, Best Bet

My best bet is on the Mets’ Moneyline in this game against the Giants. It has been a rough offensive skid for the Mets, but this lineup proved what it can do when everything clicks on Opening Day. Juan Soto has been great to start the season, batting .333 with five RBIs. After some early struggles, Bo Bichette drove in a run for the Mets last night. If his bat could get going, that would be a huge help for New York. Nolan McLean should also turn in a good performance here. He is more trustworthy than Mahle in terms of how deep he will go and the damage he will take. If McLean has a quality start, the Mets can turn to their solid bullpen. New York ranks seventh in the MLB with a 1.86 bullpen ERA this season. It’s still so early in the season, but the Mets would love to stop this losing skid before it becomes a real concern.

Best Bet: Mets ML (-135)