The Arizona Diamondbacks won game one against the Philadelphia Phillies, as game two is set for tonight. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Diamondbacks-Phillies pick, prediction, and how-to-watch.

The Diamondbacks are just 1.5 games out of first place in the NL West with their win last night. They are now sitting at 28-20 on the season and have won eight of their last ten games overall. Yesterday was a 6-3 victory in Philadelphia as Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit in his 15th consecutive game, driving in two runs on a home run and a double. For the Phillies, it is their sixth loss in their last eight games. They now sit under .500 at 22-25 on the season and are seven games behind Atlanta for the lead in the NL East. Philadelphia is struggling to score right now. In their last eight games, they have scored over four runs just one time. That was a 12-1 victory over the Cubs. In the other seven games combined, they have scored just 16 runs.

Here are the Diamondbacks-Phillies MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Diamondbacks-Phillies Odds

Arizona Diamondbacks: +1.5 (-160)

Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+132)

Over: 9.5 (-105)

Under: 9.5 (-115)

How To Watch Diamondbacks vs. Phillies

TV: BSAZ/NBCSP

Stream: MLB.TV

Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Diamondbacks Could Cover The Spread

The Diamondbacks are hitting well. Their team batting average is sitting at .266, which is good for a tie for third in the majors and the best in the National League. That is being led by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. This season his slash line is .321/.376/.562. Yesterday was another great day. He went four for four with a double, a home run, and two RBIs. Gurriel Jr. has hits now in 15 straight games while hitting .397 on the month. Against left-handed pitching, he has been a beast as well. He is hitting .365 against lefties while driving in five runs.

Also crushing lefties have been Gabriel Moreno. Moreno is hitting .301 on the season, but he is hitting .404 against left-handed pitching. This month he is hitting .300 while hitting three home runs. On the note of home runs, Christian Walker has six of them against left-handed pitching this year. He is hitting .326 against lefties as well while driving in 16 runs.

Ryne Nelson will be starting today for the Diamondbacks. This year he is 1-2 on the year with a 5.48 ERA. His last start was one of his best of the season, as he went 5.1 innings, giving up just one hit and not allowing a run. He has been better since the calendar turned to May. In his three starts his era is down to 3.60, but he does not have a win.

Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread

The Phillies' offensive struggles can be tied directly to strikeouts. They have struggled to make contact as of late, chasing balls out of the zone and striking out. Kyle Schwarber has been a major part of that. He has struck out 25 times this month whole only having eight hits and a .131 batting average. He has a strikeout in each of his last six games as well. Schwarber has hit better against righties this year, but that is still just a .196 batting average with six home runs and 16 RBIs. Bryce Harper has also been hitting well against righties. He is hitting .472 against right-handed pitching this year with two home runs and six RBIs.

Harper has been part of the strikeout train as well though. He has 20 strikeouts this month, but unlike Schwarber, he also has 20 hits. He is batting .313 since coming off the IL this year. Continuing the strike-out theme is Trea Turner. He has struck out in all but one game this month and has struck out 24 times in 72 at-bats. He is hitting .250 on the month and is hitting .284 against right-handed pitching.

Matt Strahm will be on the mound today for the Phillies. He has not been used in a starting role since May 2nd, and in that game, he gave up four runs in 3.1 innings. Since then, he has made four relief appearances, going 6.1 innings while not giving up a run. If he can have the same form he has had as a reliever he should find success today.

Final Diamondbacks-Phillies Prediction & Pick

Neither pitcher has been great this year in a starting role. The biggest issue for the Phillies is the lack of contact though. Nelson is not a strike-out machine, but he should be able to pick up plenty today. If the Phillies cannot make contact, they are not going to score enough to win this one. The Diamondbacks are great at making contact and should be able to get plenty of baserunners on against Strahm. With two poor pitchers on the mound, take the better offense in this one.

Final Diamondbacks-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Diamondbacks +1.5 (-160)