The Philadelphia Phillies will try to win their third consecutive game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium after a high-scoring affair that saw the Phillies come out victorious 12-10 on Friday night. It is time to continue our  MLB odds series, with a Phillies-Dodgers prediction and pick.

 

Even with a 16-17 record through 33 games, Philadelphia has come together nicely of late, as they have strung together three straight wins including two impressive showings versus the mighty Dodgers. Tasked with continuing this winning momentum and possibly guaranteeing the series win will be the southpaw himself, Ranger Suarez, who has a 3-1 record and 3.68 ERA to begin his 2022 campaign.

Los Angeles isn't used to going on losing streaks, but that is exactly what they find themselves in the middle of. With three straight defeats starting with a series concluding loss at the hands of Pittsburgh, the Dodgers will call upon a lefty of their own in Julio Urias and his 2.13 ERA to hold off the Padres for first place in the NL West.

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

MLB Odds: Phillies-Dodgers Odds

Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-120)

Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (+100)

Over: 8 (-115)

Under: 8 (-105)

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Why The Phillies Could Cover the Spread

Well, the Phillies have done it twice already, so why not. a third time? Philadelphia is getting the Dodgers at the perfect time, as LA has not experienced this sort of slump all season long. In fact, Los Angeles has surrendered five or more runs in four of their past five matchups, which had only happened just three times in their 26 previous games. After scoring 21 times in the last two contests versus the Dodgers, the Phillies bats have come alive in the Chavez Ravine.

Outside of this series against LA, the ‘Phils have had great production at the plate all season long, as they rank within the top ten of runs scored, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Bottom line: this Phillies lineup can rip the cover off of the ball. Right Fielder Bryce Harper is also primed to have one of his best hitting seasons to date, as the now 29-year-old is slashing .291 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs.

On the mound is where Philadelphia has experienced its fair share of struggles and is a reason why their overall record is as sluggish as it is. There is no question that the bats have carried the load, as Phillies pitching has racked up only a 4.11 ERA and has a WHIP of 1.29, good for 22nd out of 30 teams.

Against the caliber of a lineup like the Dodgers have, scoring runs will be the recipe for success yet again for the Phillies.

Why The Dodgers Could Cover the Spread

Trailing by two runs heading into the bottom of the ninth, third baseman Justin Turner followed Trea Turner's leadoff single by sending a moonshot into the left bleachers to tie the game up at 9-9 apiece. This type of dramatic comeback and a keen sense for coming up in the most clutch moments has been all too familiar to the Dodgers over recent years, but Brusdar Graterol could not keep the Phillies at bay in the top of the tenth. Scoring ten runs will usually win you 90% of games that you play, but LA pitching has suffered dramatically when the team needed them to come through the most. Los Angeles will most certainly turn things around sooner or later on the mound, but don't be surprised if there is a slight concern within that clubhouse for the struggling arms on that roster.

Despite the disheartening loss on Friday and the pair of games prior, the Dodgers still boast one of the more complete squads that baseball has to offer. It has been this way for multiple years now, which included a World Series championship berth in 2020, the franchise's first in nearly 30 years. Now tied with the San Diego Padres for first place in their division following the three-game skid, the sense of urgency is at an all-time high in Los Angeles.

With the most runs scored in the league with 166, the Dodgers do not have an easy out within their feared lineup. Combined with contact, high-average guys like Trea Turner, and sluggers who can hit the ball onto the moon like Max Muncy, this lineup is as perfectly balanced as they come. With the margin of error extremely slim when going up against them, you better not make a mistake.

The Dodgers arguably have one of the best pitching staffs and bullpen in baseball as well, at least that's what the stats say. With the second-lowest ERA at 2.81 and the best batting average against at .208, the numbers suggest that the Dodgers will be just fine regardless of the recent struggles on the mound.

Final Phillies-Dodgers Prediction & Pick

When was the last time the Dodgers lost four in a row? Exactly. Los Angeles is seemingly due to figure it out, and the Phillies offense can't stay hot forever. LA covers the -1.5 run spread and puts the Philadelphia in their place.

Final Phillies-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5 (+100)