The best team in baseball rolls into Queens on Friday night, and the market has noticed. The Los Angeles Dodgers open a three-game set at Citi Field as clear road favorites over a New York Mets club sinking toward the bottom of the National League East. The moneyline sits at -150, yet the number has not budged since it opened. That stillness, along with a run environment that may play smaller than the posted total suggests, shapes where the value hides in this one.
Last Updated: Friday, July 24, 2026
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Citi Field, Flushing, New York |
| When | Friday, July 24, 2026 — 7:10 PM ET |
| TV | WPIX (New York), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles) |
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets Betting Preview
Pitching sets the tone here, and neither starter arrives in peak form. Roki Sasaki takes the ball for Los Angeles with a 4.98 ERA across 86.2 innings, along with 85 strikeouts against 34 walks. The right-hander is trending up, though. He spun 5.2 scoreless innings on five hits in his last outing. New York counters with left-hander Sean Manaea, who owns a 4.74 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 79.2 frames. Manaea stumbled last time out, allowing four earned runs over 4.2 innings against Philadelphia. Both are listed as Friday’s probable starters. Both also give up free passes, which keeps traffic on the bases.
The gap in the standings is hard to ignore. Los Angeles enters at 65-38, the best record in the majors, and the club has been sharp on the road at 34-19. New York sits at 43-60, last in the NL East and 17 games under .500. The Mets have dropped three straight at home. Still, the recent form is closer than the records imply. The Dodgers are just 5-5 over their last 10 and hitting only .220 in that stretch. The Mets have pitched well lately, posting a 3.17 ERA across their last 10 games even while losing.
Injuries have thinned both staffs. New York is without several relievers, including Clay Holmes and Tylor Megill, which leaves the bullpen short on trusted late-inning arms. Los Angeles is down a group of its own, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and catcher Will Smith among those on the 60-day injured list. The Dodgers swept all three earlier meetings this season, so the Mets are chasing their first win in the series.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets Odds
| Run Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodgers | -1.5 (+110) | -150 | U 9.0 (-115) |
| Mets | +1.5 (-130) | +126 | O 9.0 (-105) |
Odds accurate as of Friday, July 24, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest MLB Odds – Futures – Props
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Dodgers | 84% | 16% | Mets |
See the latest MLB Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Dodgers vs. Mets Prediction — Does Citi Field Keep the Scoreboard Quiet?
Citi Field has long played as a pitcher’s park, and the conditions favor the arms in this matchup. Both starters carry strikeout stuff, and both offenses have gone cold at the plate. The Dodgers are batting .220 over their last 10 games, while the Mets sit at .237 with a tidy 3.17 ERA in that same window. When two teams are scuffling to score and the venue suppresses runs, a total of 9 starts to look generous.
The other side of the ledger is real, though. Sasaki and Manaea both walk hitters, and free passes lead to long innings and cheap runs. New York’s short-handed bullpen is another worry. If either starter exits early, the relief innings could get loose in a hurry. The under is not a clean call. It leans on the park and the cold bats holding up against two arms that can lose the zone.
The Pick: Under 9 (-115)
Dodgers vs. Mets Prediction — Can the Road Favorite Win Comfortably?
The side is where the talent gap lives. Los Angeles is the strongest team in the league, plays like it away from home, and draws a Mets club that is reeling and shorthanded in the bullpen. A road favorite is the ideal profile for the run line. The Dodgers bat in the ninth even with a lead, giving them extra chances to push a one-run edge to two. At plus money, the -1.5 pays better than laying -150 on the moneyline for essentially the same read.
There is a catch worth respecting. The public is piled on Los Angeles, with 84% of run-line bets on the Dodgers, yet the number has not moved off its open. A frozen line under heavy action is a quiet nudge toward the other side. The Dodgers’ own bats have also been quiet, and roughly a quarter of MLB games land inside one run. Taking the plus-money run line, rather than the flat moneyline, is the way to back the better team while respecting that risk.
The Pick: Dodgers Run Line -1.5 (+110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
A few things will decide how this plays out. Watch how deep Sasaki works. If he carries his last start’s form into the middle innings, the Dodgers control the game and the under stays live. Watch the Mets bullpen, too. With key arms sidelined, any early lead for Los Angeles could balloon late and settle both the run line and the total. New York’s best path is a low-scoring game that stays within one run, exactly the script that would sink both picks above.
The first five innings are worth a glance for bettors who want to isolate the starters from the shaky bullpens, since that market removes the late relief innings from the equation. For this write-up, the two plays stand on the full game. For more analysis across the league, see our latest MLB best bets.
To recap the card: the strongest play is the Under 9 (-115), backed by the park and two cold lineups. The second is the Dodgers on the run line at -1.5 (+110), a plus-money swing on the biggest edge in the matchup.
Dodgers vs. Mets FAQ: Friday July 24, 2026
What time does the Dodgers vs. Mets game start?
First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET on Friday, July 24, 2026, at Citi Field in Flushing, New York. The Dodgers are the road team, so New York bats in the bottom of each inning. It is the opener of a three-game weekend series.
What channel is the Dodgers vs. Mets game on?
The game airs locally on WPIX in the New York market and SportsNet LA in the Los Angeles market. Fans outside those regions can stream it through MLB.TV, subject to blackout rules. Coverage begins around first pitch at 7:10 PM ET.
Who is pitching for the Dodgers and Mets?
Los Angeles starts right-hander Roki Sasaki, who holds a 4.98 ERA with 85 strikeouts over 86.2 innings. New York counters with left-hander Sean Manaea, owner of a 4.74 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 79.2 innings. Both starters miss plenty of bats.
What is the season series record between the Dodgers and Mets?
Los Angeles leads the season series 3-0. The Dodgers swept all three games at Dodger Stadium back in April, so Friday’s opener is the fourth meeting of the year. New York is still searching for its first win against Los Angeles this season.
Where do the Dodgers and Mets stand in their divisions?
Los Angeles owns the best record in Major League Baseball at 65-38 and leads the NL West. New York sits at 43-60, last in the NL East and 17 games under .500. The two clubs are separated by more than 20 games in the standings.