Two teams with championship aspirations will face off in an inter-league duel just days before the postseason begins. With that being said, it is time to take an exclusive look at our MLB odds series, where our Phillies-Astros prediction and pick will be revealed.
After blanking the Astros by a score of 3-0 in game one of this series, the NL Wild Card-bound Philadelphia Phillies will hope for another masterful pitching performance this time from lefty Ranger Suarez, who has put together a productive campaign with a 10-6 record to go along with a 3,37 ERA.
Already clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Houston Astros will look to bounce back in a big way with the ageless wonder himself in the 39-year-old Justin Verlander taking the mound one last time before playoff play arrives. So far, Verlander has yet to show his age this season with a 17-4 overall record and an extremely impressive 1.80 ERA in his 27 starts on the year.
Here are the Phillies-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Astros Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-111)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (-108)
Over: 7 (-104)
Under: 7 (-188)
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
It didn't seem too long ago when the Phillies' playoff hopes hung in the balance after a five-game losing streak helped instill some life into a Brewers squad that was nipping at the heels of Philadelphia, but Philly quickly came together to reel off four wins in their previous five games to officially clinch a Wild Card slot.
Similarly to what they were able to accomplish in last night's shutout victory, the Phillies could cover the spread in their second-to-last regular season game by receiving a stellar outing from Suarez while being able to string together some clutch hits down the stretch as well. If Philadelphia can accomplish this feat, then watch out for the Phillies entering the postseason as one of the hottest teams in the entire league.
Offensively, the Phillies are as scary as it gets with the bats. As a whole, Philadelphia is led by a slew of sluggers that know how to hit the baseball a long way. If the Phillies want a shot at covering the spread in back-to-back games, then don't be surprised if names like Kyle Schwarber continues his career-best hitting season to date. Yesterday, Schwarber tormented Houston pitching by destroying a pair of baseballs over the fence. Not to mention, the Phillies have the fifth-best slugging percentage with a very intriguing .425 mark.
On the pitching side of things, this game serves as an opportunity for Suarez to be feeling at his best prior to postseason play. Suffering his first loss in nearly three months during his last outing, Suarez can get back on track with at least a quality start from their solid southpaw.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Few teams in all of baseball seemed as primed and ready to make a championship run in 2022. With the best record in all of baseball with a mind-boggling 104 wins on the campaign, Houston also holds a major advantage in this one serving as the home team. So far at Minute Maid Park, the Astros have compiled an extremely effective record of 53-26 in front of their home fans. Even though the ‘Stros came out short-handed in the loss yesterday, the excitement around this Astros team is at full force and the stadium should be packed on this Tuesday evening.
On paper, Houston has a clear advantage in most opponents that they play in the fact that they have a surplus of talent to go around. This couldn't be more true when taking a peek at this destructive lineup that can wreak havoc on anyone they face. So far this season, the Astros are top-ten in runs scored, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage which provides a multitude of opportunities for Houston to beat you.
More importantly, no player is as big of a difference-maker as Justin Verlander himself. In his limited career starts against the Phillies, he is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA. Leading the American League in Wins, Winning Percentage, and hits per nine innings, Verlander remarkably remains one of the top pitchers in all of baseball. Surprisingly, Verlander is winless in his last two starts despite posting a 2.08 ERA in those outings. Simply put, Verlander is due for a monstrous performance in his last regular season start.
Final Phillies-Astros Prediction & Pick
Both sides feel have to feel pretty good about themselves heading into the postseason, but only one clubhouse will be carrying a winning attitude to cap off what has been a very successful regular season. With that being said, it would be unwise to bet against Verlander and an Astros team that is prone to bounce back quickly. Also, with this one taking place in the H-Town, it is going to be a hard ask for the Phillies to replicate their play from last night.
Final Phillies-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (-108)
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