The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies will begin a three-game series on Tuesday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Dodgers-Phillies prediction and pick.
This is a huge series for both teams. The Dodgers remain in second place in the NL West, trailing the San Francisco Giants by four games. Every single game counts for Los Angeles as it tries to dig itself out of a hole no one expected them to be in. The Phillies recently took first place in the NL East from the New York Mets and are looking to build on their newfound division lead. There are two teams that are less than three games back of Philadelphia, so any loss deals a significant blow to their chances of holding first place.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the odds for this series opener.
MLB Odds: Dodgers-Phillies Odds
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-159)
Philadelphia Phillies ML (+147)
Over 8 1/2 runs (-121)
Under 8 1/2 runs (+101)
Why The Dodgers Could Win
The Dodgers have one of the most star-studded rosters in baseball, and one of those stars will be pitching for them on Tuesday. The recently acquired Max Scherzer is set to take on the Phillies, a matchup that has typically ended in a win for Scherzer.
Scherzer faced the Phillies three times this season as a member of the Washington Nationals. In total, he has pitched 18 innings against this Philadelphia lineup while only allowing three runs. Philadelphia clearly has trouble hitting Scherzer, and there's no reason to expect anything different in this matchup.
The Phillies will entrust this start to pitcher Aaron Nola. Nola is in the midst of an underwhelming season, putting up a 4.49 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Those numbers have only gotten worse over his last 15 starts, as his ERA jumps to 5.33 with his WHIP following suit and rising to 1.26. The Dodgers are a strong offensive team and should be able to capitalize on Nola's recent cold streak.
Why The Phillies Could Win
Despite Scherzer's dominance over this Philadelphia lineup, there are some indicators that things will turn around for the Phillies. Four hitters who are projected to start in their lineup have a career batting average of .300 or higher against Scherzer. The Phillies are also slightly better on offense when they play at home, earning a higher OPS, OBP, and slugging percentage in Citizens Bank Park.
Starter Aaron Nola's stats may be on the decline, but he has a couple of edges over the Dodgers in this one. He's a much better pitcher whenever he plays at home, with his ERA dropping all the way to 3.18 whenever he can avoid the road.
Nola also only allows a 5.3% walk percentage, countering a Los Angeles lineup that specializes in being patient. The righty's barrel percentage allowed is only 7.7%, another staggeringly low number. The Dodgers don't barrel the ball up at a particularly high rate, so Nola should be able to induce lots of soft contact.
Final Dodgers-Phillies Prediction & Pick
This will be a close game, but the Dodgers should come out on top. Scherzer has been dominant against this Phillies team all year and Nola is in the middle of a cold streak. It should also be a low-scoring affair, so the under is in play, but Los Angeles is the safer pick.
FINAL PICK: Los Angeles Dodgers ML (-159)
Follow Us
Subscribe