The Philadelphia Phillies will travel to Houston to take on the Houston Astros in the final regular season series for both teams. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Phillies-Astros prediction and pick, laid out below.
Philadelphia is clinging to the final NL Wild Card spot, with an 86-73 record that places them just two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers. Philadelphia has gotten healthy this last month of the season, which combined with a solid starting rotation, is a problem for opponents.
Houston has had the AL West on ice for most the season, with their 104-55 record securing the top spot in the American League Playoffs. All roads to the World Series will go through Houston in the American League. Houston's roster is talented and deep, setting up a mad dash to the World Series.
Here are the Phillies-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Astros Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+172)
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-210)
Over: 7.5 (-102)
Under: 7.5 (-120)
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
Aaron Nola is tonight's starter for Philadelphia, with the team's magic number all the way down to two. Nola has gone 10-13 with a 3.36 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 198.1 innings. Nola's 3.7 percent walk rate, which would be the best of his career, ranks in the 98th percentile of the league. Batters are hitting below .200 combined against Nola's fastball and sinker. Philadelphia's bullpen was bolstered at the trade deadline, and now can be considered a strength. Closer David Robertson, in his second go around with the club, has pitched to a 2.82 ERA in 21 games, saving six games with 30 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. Seranthony Dominguez owns a 2.70 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 50 innings. Lefty flame-thrower Jose Alvarado has pitched to a 3.26 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 49.2 innings.
Kyle Schwarber leads the National League with 44 home runs, and also leads the Phillies with 92 RBI and 84 walks. Rhys Hoskins is second with 30 home runs and leads the team with 33 doubles. Catcher JT Realmuto has belted 22 home runs and stolen 21 bases without being caught. Realmuto also leads the team with five triples. Bryce Harper has played in only 97 games this season, but has hit .287 with 28 doubles and 18 home runs. Nick Castellanos has hit 27 doubles and 13 home runs. Alec Bohm leads the team with a .282 batting average, adding 13 home runs and 24 doubles. Philadelphia ranks sixth in the league with 202 home runs.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Lance McCullers will make his eight start of the season tonight for Houston. McCullers has pitched to a 2.38 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. Batters are hitting just .205 against McCullers. This is the final tuneup for McCullers, setting up his postseason return, where he has enjoyed some success. Ryne Stanek has been the story of the bullpen for Houston, with a 1.17 ERA in 53.2 innings, striking out 62 batters. Opponents have hit just .191 against Stanek. Rafael Montero has appeared in 70 games, with a 2.39 ERA and 14 saves. Closer Ryan Pressly has been great, with 32 saves, a 3.04 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 47.1 innings.
If not for a historic Aaron Judge season, Yordan Alvarez would be receiving a ton of MVP consideration. Alvarez leads the team with a .301 batting average and 37 home runs, ranking second with 96 RBI, and adding 26 doubles. Kyle Tucker leads the team with 101 RBI and 25 stolen bases, ranking second with 29 home runs. Yuli Gurriel leads the team with 40 doubles, adding eight home runs. Alex Bregman ranks second with 38 doubles, hitting 23 home runs. Jose Altuve is third with 37 doubles and 28 home runs. Rookie Jeremy Pena has belted 21 home runs while stealing eleven bases. Houston ranks fourth with 210 home runs.
Final Phillies-Astros Prediction & Pick
Nola will need to be brilliant, but I have faith in him.
Final Phillies-Astros Prediction & Pick: Philadelphia -1.5 (+172), over 7.5 (-102)
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