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The newly resurgent Philadelphia Phillies will be put to the test once again as the Washington Nationals play host at the nation's capital for the start of a five-game set on Thursday. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Phillies-Nationals prediction and pick will be unveiled.
No question, the Phillies have had a turbulent last few weeks, but credit Philadelphia for turning it up a notch when they needed it the most. Now at 32-31, the Phillies will call upon RHP Zack Wheeler with his 5-3 record and 2.84 ERA.
The Nationals have been scuffling of late, and at 23-42, the season will soon get out of hand if Washington can't go on a triumphant winning streak the rest of the way. Tasked in righting the ship for the ‘Nats will be lefty Patrick Corbin, whose struggles have been front and center as he has compiled a 3-8 record with a less than ideal 6.65 ERA.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Phillies-Nationals MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Nationals Odds
Philadelphia Phillies : -1.5 (-128)
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (+106)
Over: 9 (-120)
Under: 9 (-102)
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Why The Phillies Could Cover the Spread
One of the more brutally honest and intense fan bases sports have come to know, the City of Brotherly Love just about had it when the Phillies were multiple games under .500 and were not showing any spark as a whole to be competitive. Firing their manager and a couple of weeks of outstanding play has done wonders for this ball club. The fulfilling but dangerous feeling of hope may indeed be creeping back into the hearts of Phillies fans everywhere.
With another matchup against an NL East foe in the Nationals on tap for Philly, the ‘Phils cannot afford to overlook a Nationals team that have the worst record in the National League but still have some playmakers to give the Phillies a run for their money.
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The most treacherous dynamic within the Phillies clubhouse has to be their bats, as this lineup from top to bottom can be very lethal. Whether it's Bryce Harper hitting moonshots to diminish the opposing team's morale or names like Garrett Stubbs hitting three-run jacks with two outs in the ninth inning, this group of respected batsmen appear to be timely and clutch in their approach at the plate.
The arms of this team haven't been quite as productive in 2022, but do not sleep on this starting staff. This is still a crew that is tied for fourth in the majors with 28 quality starts, which demonstrates the Phillies' ability to pitch late into games and keep the pressure off of their bullpen. Zack Wheeler has had a solid campaign up to this point, but he has struggled historically against Washington in his career with an 8-14 record and 4.59 ERA in his 26 career starts versus the ‘Nats.
Why The Nationals Could Cover the Spread
It seems like a lifetime ago that the Nationals were the last ones standing as World Series Champions of 2019, months before the world was shut down due to a pandemic. Now, the Nationals are wrestling to just keep their heads above water, as they have lost seven of their past nine games.
Of course, injuries have played their disrupting role of giving Washington time to click as a full unit, but only so many excuses can be made for a squad that has been way more bad than good. Nevertheless, baseball is unique in the fact that even the worst teams can be due for a good outing, especially over the course of a long and grueling 162-game season.
With Juan Soto not being necessarily 100%, other hitters in the lineup such as first-baseman Josh Bell have had to step up. Bell has done just that, as the former Pirate has clubbed his way to a very effective .290 batting average while also driving in 38 runs, which both currently lead the team. Against a high-octane offense like that of the Phillies, this lineup will need to show up in a big way whether or not Soto is healthy enough to suit up this evening.
Washington may in fact have the worst pitching staff and bullpen in the game and could end up being their downfall on Thursday if they continue to be lackluster. Despite having a successful career to date, Patrick Corbin has not looked like the same left-handed twirler this year compared to when he was a member of the D-Backs and even in his first couple of seasons with the ‘Nats. The good news? Corbin is 6-5 with a 3.83 ERA in his large sample size of 15 career starts against Philadelphia.
Final Phillies-Nationals Prediction & Pick
Washington has shown they are a bad baseball team, and the Phillies are one of the hottest teams in the game with a surplus of swagger at their disposal. While anything can happen in one game, the safe pick is to take the surging Phillies in this one.
Final Phillies-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (-128)
