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The Nationals travel to play the Phillies for three games! These two teams are struggling to find consistency. The Phillies are the more talented team, but the Nationals can get a significant momentum swing with a good showing in this series. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Nationals-Phillies prediction and pick.
Nationals-Phillies Projected Starters
MacKenzie Gore vs. Zack Wheeler
MacKenzie Gore (2-3) with a 3.34 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed two runs on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts through six innings.
Away Splits: (1-2) 4.76 ERA
Zack Wheeler (2-1) with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP
Last Start: Allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and nine strikeouts through six innings.
Home Splits: (2-0) 1.93 ERA
Here are the MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Nationals-Phillies Odds
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-125)
Moneyline: +166
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+104)
Moneyline: -198
Over: 8 (-105)
Under: 8 (-115)
How to Watch Nationals vs. Phillies
Time: 6:45 pm ET/3:45 pm PT
TV: MASN/NBC Sports Philadelphia
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Nationals struggled toward a 71-91 record last year, and this season are struggling to play consistent baseball and have a 13-15 record. They have gone 3-2 in their previous five games. Their bats were okay at best last season and have not been impressive this season. The Nationals have struggled on the mound, and not much has changed from last season to this one because it's one of the worst pitching staffs in the league. CJ Abrams, Nathaniel Lowe, Keibert Ruiz, Luis Garcia Jr., James Wood, and Paul DeJong (out with injury) are solid in the batting rotation. MacKenzie Gore, Mitchell Parker, and Jake Irvin have been a solid three-headed monster on the mound for the Nationals.
The Nationals are starting Gore on the mound, and he has a 2-3 record, a 3.34 ERA, and a 1.14 WHIP. He has allowed 13 runs on 31 hits with nine walks and 53 strikeouts through 35 innings across his six starts. He also has a K/BB ratio of 5.9. The Nationals are 2-4 in his six starts on the mound. Gore has played individually, but the team has struggled to find consistency.
The offense for the Nationals is below the middle of the pack in the MLB with a .238 batting average after finishing last season with a .243 average. Ruiz, Lowe, and Wood have stood out the most for the Nationals on offense this season. Ruiz leads in batting average with .297 and in total hits with 27. Then, Wood leads in home runs with eight and OBP at .391. Finally, Lowe leads the team in RBI with 19. This offense has been unimpressive, and they get a bad matchup against Wheeler on the mound, who has been great for the Phillies.
Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Phillies were one of the best teams in the MLB last season, finishing with a 95-67 record. Things have been more hit or miss this season with the Phillies having a 15-13 record, but they have won two straight entering this series. The offense was a top-five unit the previous season, and this year has started just as well, ranked 11th. After having a great year last season, the pitching has been near the middle of the pack. On offense, there are sluggers on the team. Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott, Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, and J.T. Realmuto make up a loaded offense. The pitching of Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez (out with an injury), Taijuan Walker, and Jesus Luzardo also makes up an excellent pitching staff for the Phillies. The Phillies have the talent for a great year, but they must fix their pitching and get out of their rut.
The Phillies are starting Wheeler on the mound, with a 2-1 record, a 3.62 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP. He has allowed 15 runs on 30 hits with eight walks and 50 strikeouts across 37.1 innings in his six starts. His K/BB ratio is also at 6.3. The Phillies are also 3-3 in his six starts this season. Wheeler is the pitching staff's ace, and he gets a great matchup against a Nationals offense that has done nothing impressive all year. This is a big X-factor in this matchup.
The Phillies' offense was one of the best in the MLB last season, and they have still been great this year. They have a .249 batting average this season after finishing with a .257 average last season. Castellanos, Schwarber, and Stott are the biggest standouts on this loaded offense this season. Schwarber leads in home runs with seven, RBI with 18, and OBP at .400. Then, Stott leads in batting average with .292, and Castellanos in total hits with 28. This offense has so much talent and depth this season, and should cause issues for Gore on the mound. Gore has been solid, but a matchup against this loaded offense might be too much.
Final Nationals-Phillies Prediction & Pick
The Nationals have been too inconsistent to rely on, even with Gore on the mound. The Phillies win thanks to their offense, and with Wheeler on the mound.
Final Nationals-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Washington Nationals +1.5 (-125)
