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The Philadelphia Phillies (35-34) visit the Oakland Athletics (19-52) for the first of their three-game series. First pitch commences Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Phillies-Athletics prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Phillies-Athletics MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Athletics Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+120)
Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (-144)
Over: 8.5 (-105)
Under: 8.5 (-115)
How To Watch Phillies vs. Athletics
TV: NBCS Philadelphia, NBCS California
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/ 6:40 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Phillies-Athletics LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 8-2 (Third in the NL East)
Run Line Record: 28-41 (41%)
Over Record: 28-34-7 (45%)
The Phillies may finally be waking up. After a decent April in which they went 15-13, the defending National League champs went just 10-16 in May. They've flipped the script this month – going 10-4 thus far while averaging 5.7 runs per game. After an impressive 3-1 series win against the Diamondbacks, the Phillies have now won four consecutive series and are back over .500 for the season. That said, they still have an atrocious run line record and will need to continue their offensive surge tonight if they want to cover as road favorites against the suddenly-competitive Athletics.
Righty Taijuan Walker (6-3) makes his 15th start of the season for the Phillies tonight. While Walker hasn't been quite as good as his career year in New York last season, he's been a solid back-end rotation member. Through 14 starts, Walker owns a solid 4.67 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. That said, Walker's underlying numbers remain shaky. He's allowing the most hard contact of his career and his expected ERA of 4.50 isn't much to write home about. Still, Walker has looked sharp this month – tossing consecutive shutouts against the Tigers and Dodgers. While the A's have proven frisky in recent weeks, they still average the fewest runs per game on the season and are hitting just .216 against righties. With that, Walker should be in line for a strong outing provided he can avoid walks.
It was only a matter of time before the Phillies started hitting. That said, they could face some trouble tonight considering both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are hitting under the Mendoza line against lefties this season. Thankfully, Nick Castellanos, Bryson Stott, and JT Realmuto have picked up the slack against southpaws. Castellanos has led the way with a .346 average, although Stott isn't far behind him with a .333 average of his own. Realmuto is the real name to watch tonight. Despite some early-season struggles, the do-it-all catcher is still slugging .837 against lefties. Realmuto is in the midst of a monster week that's seen him hold an astronomical 1.532 OPS over his last five games.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 7-3 (Fifth in the AL West)
Run Line Record: 31-40 (44%)
Over Record: 36-31-4 (54%)
While the Athletics are clearly still one of the worst teams in baseball, it's a major testament to their recent play that they're no longer considered THE worst team in baseball (they can thank the Royals for that). Oakland has taken off this month – winning seven of their first 13 games. That included a road series win over the Pirates, a road sweep of the Brewers, and splitting a four-game set with the best team in baseball; Tampa Bay. Consequently, the As suddenly look like a decent value play as home underdogs against the Phillies.
Lefty JP Sears (1-3) makes his 14th start of the season for the Athletics. Sears has been one of the few bright spots in Oakland's historically-bad season. Although his 4.15 ERA doesn't jump off the page, he has a strong 1.11 WHIP. Sears will never be a dominant strikeout pitcher but his 22.8% strikeout rate is a noticeable improvement from last season. Perhaps his best quality is his command – Sears ranks in the 86th percentile league-wide with a 6.8% walk rate.
After a shaky opening month that saw him exit with an ERA north of 6.00, Sears has settled down nicely. He allowed more than two runs just once over his last eight starts and is coming off a strong start against Milwaukee that saw him give up just six hits and two runs over 5.0 innings. Philly hasn't fared quite as well against lefties this season – setting Sears up for another strong outing.
Final Phillies-Athletics Prediction & Pick
On paper, this should be an easy Phillies cover. They've been absolute slugging this month and Oakland has long spent the season in the cellar. However, with the A's suddenly red-hot and their best pitcher on the bump, I like Oakland to keep things tight tonight at home.
Final Phillies-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Oakland Athletics +1.5 (-144)
