Philadelphia Will be Huge Favorites All Three Games
Nationals vs Phillies Series Preview is in the Home Team's Favor
The Washington Nationals make the trip to Philadelphia for a three-game series beginning Friday. The Nationals trail the Phillies by 9.5 games in the NL East but are right there in the wild card race. The Nationals vs Phillies series preview shows Zack Wheeler is a -290 favorite over Jake Irvin in the opener. The total is 7.5-under (-118).
Philadelphia has the best record in Major League Baseball. It’s hard to find much fault with Philadelphia except for its schedule. The Phillies have played just three games against teams over .500 all season and are 1-2. The Dodgers are the only other team in MLB to have played fewer than 10 games against >.500 teams. LA is 6-3 in those games, however.
The Nationals aren’t doing a lot offensively. Washington ranks No. 25 in team batting average and is averaging 4.0 runs per game. That puts them tied at No. 20 in runs per game. The Nationals don’t hit for much power but have managed to push some runs across despite some ugly stats.
The pitching staff has been decent, ranking No. 12 in team ERA at 3.75. The bullpen has been pretty reliable and a few of the starters are getting the job done. The Nationals are struggling to find another reliable starter, having tried several different players.
The Phillies have been solid offensively and are in the top five or six in most of the major categories. Philadelphia is third in team batting average, sixth in home runs, and right there with the Dodgers for the most runs scored.
The pitching staff has held its end of the bargain and is No. 4 in the MLB team stats for ERA. The bullpen has had some troubles at home, but that hasn’t slowed the team down much at all.
Nationals vs Phillies 
Records: Washington Nationals (20-22) and Philadelphia Phillies (31-14)
Day/Time:
Stream: MASN
Friday’s Game
Irvin hasn’t pitched badly but hasn’t received much help from his teammates. The Nationals are 2-6 when he starts despite a 3.55 ERA. He’s allowed four earned runs over his last three starts, but Washington is just 1-2 in those games. He’s thrown a little better on the road this season.
Wheeler is in the same position, with Philadelphia going 4-5 in his starts with a 2.53 ERA. Wheeler has been better at home, although the bullpen has let him down on more than one occasion this season. He’s coming off his worst start of the year, so expect a decent bounce-back here. He could be worth looking at in some of the MLB player props.
There are a fair number of -200 or larger favorites on the MLB schedule today, but it’s hard to make a case for the Phillies at those MLB odds. Irvin hasn’t been all that bad, so the under might be the safest wager in this game.
Saturday’s Game
The Nationals vs Phillies series preview shows MacKenzie Gore and Cristopher Sanchez as the scheduled starters Saturday. Gore has thrown pretty well with a 3.38 ERA, but isn’t going to give you a lot of innings. He’s hit six innings just twice in his eight starts. Washington is 3-5 with Gore on the mound.
It’s the same story with Sanchez, who sports a 3.21 ERA, but the Phillies are just 3-5 in his starts. Philadelphia has won his last two starts, however. After not scoring much in his first few starts of the season, the Phillies have scored five or more runs in four of his last five starts.
Sanchez is going to be tough in this one and is probably the way to go, but will likely be overpriced in this spot. Gore has kept the Nationals in most of the games he’s started this season. The under in this one could also be worth a look.
Sunday’s Game
The Nationals vs Phillies series preview has Trevor Williams facing off against Aaron Nola in the series finale. Williams has been an absolute beast for the Nationals this season. Washington is 7-1 when he starts and he’s pitching to a 1.94 ERA. The only problem is he doesn’t pitch more than 5 or 6 innings. The bullpen has really only let Williams down once.
Nola is having a strong start to the season. The MLB scoreboard shows Philadelphia is 7-2 when he starts. Despite being over-valued most starts, he’s winning enough to have a profitable showing. He’s coming off a complete-game shutout against the Mets.
The value is going to be on Williams here. Nola’s fast start to the season and his name will help keep the line on the high side. If you can get Washington +170 or better, that’s the way to go in this one.
Nationals vs Phillies Odds
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