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A pair of NL East foes meet on the diamond this evening as the Miami Marlins will hit the road to the City of Brotherly Love as they square off with the Philadelphia Phillies. It is time to check out our MLB odds series, where our Marlins-Phillies prediction and pick will be revealed.
It didn't seem long ago that the Phillies had won their sixth straight game after a 6-0 shutout win against the Pirates, but with a disastrous road trip now behind them, Philadelphia certainly needs to take a long look in the mirror before returning home against the Marlins. Regardless, right-hander, Aaron Nola will get the nod this evening to try and baffle the fish with his 9-11 record and 3.43 ERA.
At 55-78 and currently on a lengthy seven-game losing streak, the Marlins are playing for pride at this point and could not be more enthused to give it another crack at it next year. Even in the midst of poor play in all aspects, Miami will send out southpaw Jesus Lazardo, who is 3-6 overall with a 3.44 ERA.
Here are the Marlins-Phillies MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Marlins-Phillies Odds
Miami Marlins: +1.5 (-120)
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+100)
Over: 7 (+100)
Under: 7 (-122)
Why The Marlins Could Cover The Spread
Out of the playoff picture for quite some time, the Marlins' horrendous ways have been on full display. After getting swept by the Braves in three games and being outscored 17-3 in those trio of matchups, the offense has been near non-existent over the course of the past couple of weeks. Ultimately, the poor play at the plate has been a direct correlation to coming up on the wrong side of things on the scoreboard. Unfortunately for the fish, this has been a reoccurring theme for most of the season, as Miami is only slashing .227 as a team and has scored the fourth-fewest runs in the majors with 471 total.
Even despite the struggles, the best part of this team's game has hands down been its pitching staff. Whether it has been from the starters or the bullpen, the Marlins are surprisingly a not-too-shabby unit from the rubber. Even though this wasn't necessarily the case in their most recent series, Miami has pitched to the beat of a respectable 3.89 ERA, a total of 47 quality starts, and a batting average against at .242.
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Even despite both sides being division rivals, hurler Jesus Lazardo has only squared off with the ‘Phils one time and is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA. If Lazardo can find a rhythm early and keep the Phillies off-balanced, then look out!
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
After experiencing a brutal road trip, the Phillies are surely eager to turn the page and return home to do battle in front of their home crowd. Like the Marlins, Philadelphia enters this series in losing fashion as the pitching and hitting could not get on the same page over the weekend against the Giants. Fortunately for Philly, they have remained a tough out at Citizens Bank Park with a 39-30 overall record. Also, even despite the slight hiccup, the Phillies remain in the third NL Wild Card Spot as they continue their march to clinch their first playoff berth since the 2011 season.
In order to cover the spread and ultimately get the win on Tuesday versus Miami, the Phillies must continue to respond positively after enduring rough stretches. This has been all too familiar for interim manager Rob Thomson, who has been in charge of the club since Joe Girardi was relieved of his duties back in June. Thomson carries a sense of toughness and grit on his sleeve, and it has clearly translated into the success of his ball club.
Yes, Philly may be without one of their key regulars in Nick Castellanos after he was placed on the IL due to a right oblique strain, but do not be alarmed; this is an offense that can rip the cover off of the baseball. As a whole, the Phillies have raked their way to the fifth-most runs in baseball and even possess a very healthy .254 batting average.
While the expected starter in Aaron Nola has also struggled recently, expect a bounce-back performance from the 29-year-old. In 19 career starts against the Marlins, Nola is 5-8 with a shiny 3.28 ERA.
Final Marlins-Phillies Prediction & Pick
Both of these teams are no doubt struggling, but a matchup with the Marlins is just what the doctor ordered if you're the Phillies. By the end of the night, Philly should be the one coming out on top in a big way.
Final Marlins-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+100)
