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It is opening day in the Nation's Capital as the Washington Nationals host the Philadelphia Phillies. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Phillies-Nationals prediction and pick.
The Phillies went 95-67 last year, winning the NL East. Still, it would be a quick exit from the playoffs for the Phillies. They would fall in four games to the New York Mets in the NL Divisional Series. Still, they bring back a lot of major pieces to their lineup, and the Phillies will be looking to dethrone the Dodgers in the National League. Meanwhile, the Nationals finished 71-91 last year. That placed them in fourth in the NL East. Still, with a young group in the line-up, the Nationals are looking to improve their record this year.
Here are the Phillies-Nationals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-National Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+100)
Moneyline: -176
Washington Nationals: +1.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +148
Over: 7.5 (+100)
Under: 7.5 (-122)
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Why The Phillies Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Phillies bring back the majority of the core of their lineup. That starts with Bryce Harper. Harper was sixth in the NL MVP voting last year after hitting .285 with a .373 on-base percentage. Further, he slugged .525 while sitting 30 home runs and driving in 87 RBIs. He will be joined in the lineup by Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber hit .248 last year, primarily out of the leadoff spot. Further, he got on base at a .366 rate while driving in 104 runs last year.
Behind Schwarber, it is expected to be Trea Turner hitting second. Turner was solid last year. He played in just 121 games but hit .295 with a .338 on-base percentage. Still, Turner drove in 62 runs and stole 19 bases last year. Stealing bases was something that Bryson Stott did well last year, steals 32 of them, and he also returns to the Phillies lineup. Stott also hit .245 last year with a .315 on-base percentage and a .356 slugging. Further, he hit 11 home runs and drove in 57 runs last year.
Zack Wheeler is expected to get the opening-day nod for the Phillies. He was 16-7 last year with a 2.57 ERA. He finished second on the NL Cy Young voting last year. Wheeler pitched 14.2 innings over four starts in Spring Training. He was 0-1 while giving up six runs in Spring Training.
Why The Nationals Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Nationals lineup is led by a strong core of young players. That starts with CJ Abrams. Abrams was an all-star last year for the Nationals, after hitting .246 last year. He also had a .314 on-base percentage while having a .433 slugging percentage. Further, Abrams hit 20 home runs and drove in 65 runs while also stealing 31 bases. He is joined in the lineup by Luis Garcia. Garcia his .282 last year with a .318 on-base percentage and a .444 slugging. Garcia also hit 18 home runs, drove in 70 runs, and stole 22 bases.
Meanwhile, Dylan Crews will be looking to make an impact this year. The 22-year-old Crew played in just 31 games with the big league club last year, giving .218 with a .288 on-base percentage. Further, he drove in eight runs and hit three home runs. He is joined in the lineup by 21-year-old James Wood. Wood hit .264 with a .354 on-base percentage. Wood also slugged .427 last year. Wood had nine home runs and 41 RBIs last season. Finally, Keibert Ruiz also returns to the lineup. He hit .229 last year with a .359 slugging. Ruiz had 13 home runs and 57 RBIs last year.
MacKenzie Gore will get the opening day start for the Washington Nationals in this one. He was solid last year, making 32 starts. Gore went 10-12 last year with a 3.90 ERA last season. While his WAR was down from 2023, his ERA and ERA+ were both better last year. Gore was solid in Spring Training this year as well. He made four starts in Spring Training, pitching 16.1 innings and giving up just five runs. Further, he went 2-1 in Spring Training this past year.
Final Phillies-Nationals Prediction & Pick
The Phillies come in as the favorites in terms of odds in this MLB contest. A major reason is Zack Wheeler. Not only was he great as the ace of the staff last year, but he has also pitched well against the Nationals. Last year, he gave up just five runs over 19 innings. Meanwhile, MacKenzie Gore has struggled against the Phillies in his career. He has a 4.96 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP in his career against the Phillies. The Nationals will be looking to make strides from last year but will be running with a very young core of players. They will take time to gel and get going, but until then, they will struggle with teams like the Phillies.
Final Phillies-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+100)
