The Los Angeles Dodgers will attempt to replicate last night's success as they face off with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Dodgers-Phillies prediction and pick.

 

The Dodgers defeated the Phillies 4-1 on Friday night. They already led 1-0 entering the second inning when Freddie Freeman clipped a single to right that scored Gavin Lux and Mookie Betts. It gave them a 3-0 lead and command of the game. The Dodgers were up 4-0 in the ninth when they allowed a J.T. Realmuto double to make it somewhat interesting. Ultimately, Craig Kimbrel came in to get the out-out save to finish the game. 

Julio Urias tossed five innings, allowing no earned runs on two hits and five strikeouts. Alternatively, Ranger Suarez struggled for the Phillies, allowing three earned runs on five hits in three innings. The Phillies managed seven hits but also left seven runners stranded. 

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Dodgers-Phillies MLB odds:

MLB Odds: Dodgers-Phillies Odds

Dodgers: -1.5 (+172)

Phillies: +1.5 (-210)

Over: 9 (-122)

Under: 9 (-104)

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Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread

Los Angeles will have a bullpen game on Saturday. Mitch White will officially start, his first in 2022. He has primarily tossed out of the bullpen, as he did earlier this week. Thus, White will throw approximately 45 pitches in the game while the bullpen handles the rest. 

The bullpen did well last night, allowing one run on five hits through four innings of work. Now, they will have a longer amount of work to complete and face some dangerous hitters that can rake the ball. How the Dodgers relievers perform will ultimately determine if they hang around in this game. Additionally, the Dodgers have struggled against the Phillies' hitters this season, including last weekend, when they allowed 33 runs over four games. Los Angeles will need support from its bats. 

Freeman, Lux, Betts, and Cody Bellinger must come through to help the Dodgers in the clutch. Bellinger went 1 for 3 last night and has hit safely in four of his past six games. However, he managed to go 4 for 17 in last weekend's four-game series with the Phillies, so he would have to pick it up to give Los Angeles a better chance. 

The Dodgers will cover the spread if they can get another good performance from its pitchers. White must toss three innings of shutout baseball, and the pen must come in and replicate the process. Additionally, the Dodgers likely will have to score more than four runs to win today. It will be interesting to see how Los Angeles manages the game and if they can repeat what they did yesterday. 

Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread

Philadelphia will go with Aaron Nola on the hill. Nola is 1-4 with a 3.64 ERA. However, he has not won since April 8, which was his first start of the season. Nola tossed seven innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits in his last start against the Dodgers last weekend. He struck out eight batters and walked two in the game but ultimately came away with the no-decision. Now, he faces the Dodgers again and will attempt to go the distance again. Nola has support from a loaded offense that continues to take the baseball. 

The Phillies are third in batting average, 14th in on-base percentage, ninth in runs, seventh in home runs, and third in slugging percentage. Bryce Harper powers the Phillies with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. Also, Nick Castellanos has five home runs and 21 RBIs, while Kyle Schwarber has slugged nine home runs and 21 RBIs. However, Harper has not played since receiving an injection in his throwing elbow on Sunday. The Phillies have to fill the void felt by Harper's absence. In the four games he has missed, the Phillies have amassed four total runs. They went scoreless in two of these games. Rhys Hoskins could be an answer as he is batting .234 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs. However, the real pain is in the outfield where Harper's defensive play was excellent. 

The Phillies will cover the spread if Nola can give them a strong start and give them the best chance to win. Philadelphia also will cover if they can get to the Los Angeles pitching early and establish a pattern. Likewise, the Phillies have to defend better and cover all the ranges of the outfield in Harper's absence. 

Final Dodgers-Phillies Prediction & Pick

There is not much value in taking the Phillies with the under. Alternatively, there is plenty of value in the Phillies winning straight. Philadelphia has struggled without Harper, going 1-4 in the five games he has missed. However, this lineup showed last weekend what they can do to Dodgers' pitching. The Phillies will find a way to make this a game and steal it. Take the Phillies to take advantage of the Dodgers' strategy and eke out a win. 

Final Dodgers-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Phillies Moneyline (-120)