Phillies vs Nationals Betting Odds: Philadelphia Huge Favorite in Opener

Phillies in Solid Position For Wild Card Berth

August 18, 2023 106 3 minutes readMLB Picks & Parlays

Phillies vs Nationals Betting Odds: Philadelphia Huge Favorite in Opener — Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images/AFP

Friday's Game
Saturday's Game
Sunday's Game

The Phillies vs Nationals betting odds should find Philadelphia favored in all three games against Washington. The MLB National League standings have the Phillies at 66-55 in the NL East, while Washington is 55-67.

The Phillies are 3.5 games in front of the wild card standings. Washington is 8.0 games out of a wild card spot and would need a minor miracle to reach the postseason.

Philadelphia’s Michael Lorenzen is -170 over Joan Adon in Friday’s opener. The total on the game is 9. Lorenzen has been solid for the Phillies, going 7-7 with a 3.23 ERA.

The Phillies have gone 10-10 when Lorenzen starts, allowing just 3.35 runs per game. Philadelphia is 7-10-3 when he starts. The Nationals are 2-0 when Adon starts, allowing just five runs in the two games.

The Phillies have been hitting the ball better than average, ranking No. 9 in batting average and No. 13 in runs scored. Kyle Schwarber is among the MLB stat leaders with 30 home runs, which ties him for sixth. The Phillies have gotten decent pitching this season and are No. 10 in team ERA.

The Nationals are hitting the ball, sitting at No. 5 in team batting average. But Washington hasn’t been able to parlay those hits into runs, ranking No. 18 in runs scored.

A big reason for that is a lack of power. The Nationals are No. 29 in home runs, leading only the Cleveland Guardians. Washington’s pitching staff has been pretty dismal most of the season and is No. 27 in team ERA.

Friday’s Game

It’s hard to lay such a lofty number with Lorenzen, who has pitched well. But the end result is the Phillies are still just .500 when he starts. Adon’s 5.14 ERA isn’t all that impressive, but the Nationals have won both his starts. He also has a pair of relief appearances on the year. Looking ahead to the Phillies vs Nationals clash, it’s a tough call to favor Lorenzen despite his solid pitching.

With the Phillies playing to the under with Lorenzen on the mound, that could be the way to go. It shouldn’t be one of your best MLB bets today, but there is a little value on the under.

Saturday’s Game

The Phillies vs Nationals betting odds should see Cristopher Sanchez as a mid-sized favorite against Washington’s Jake Irvin. Sanchez has just a 1-3 record, but he does own a decent 3.39 ERA for the Phillies. Philadelphia is 5-6 when he starts on the season. Irvin is 3-5 with a 4.76 ERA and the Nationals have gone 9-9 with Irvin on the mound.

The Nationals have won Irvin’s last five starts, allowing 15 runs in those five games. There could be a little bit of value on Irvin, depending on how high the line comes out. Washington scores 4.86 runs against left-handed starters compared to just 4.16 against right-handed starters.

Sunday’s Game

The Phillies vs Nationals betting odds will likely see Ranger Suarez a decent-sized favorite over Trevor Williams in the series finale. Suarez has just a 2-6 record despite an ERA of 3.88. He’s pitched better than his record indicates, and the Phillies are 9-8 when he starts this MLB season.

Williams is 5-7 with a 5.20 ERA, and the Nationals are 11-12 when he takes the mound. Suarez would typically be the play here, but the Nationals get another left-handed pitcher to face. Williams did win a 5-4 decision against Suarez earlier this season, although Suarez got the best of Williams in the first meeting between the two pitchers by an 11-3 score.

Suarez has faced Washington three times, and each game saw a minimum of nine runs. The total in each game has been 9.0, so you can make a case for the over in this Sunday night game.

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