The Philadelphia Phillies take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Check out our MLB odds series for our Phillies Dodgers prediction and pick.
Kyle Gibson starts for the Phillies, while Walker Buehler starts for the Dodgers.
Kyle Gibson has a 2.94 ERA. He has given up two runs or fewer in four of his six starts. He has allowed three runs or fewer in five of his six starts. He hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his last three appearances. He isn't dominant, but he certainly is solid and is giving the Phillies what they need.
Walker Buehler has a 1.96 ERA and is locked in right now. He was originally scheduled to start on Saturday, but when Clayton Kershaw, the scheduled starter for Friday's game, got scratched, the Dodgers moved him up. He is starting on the normal four days of rest.
Buehler has allowed one run in 21 innings in his last three starts after a slow beginning to his season. Instructively, Buehler didn't pitch more than 5 2/3 innings in any of his first three starts, a reality likely connected to the shortened spring training and an inability to be fully stretched out. In his last three starts, he pitched a complete game and a seven-inning game. Clearly, he feels better and is pitching better. This is something to realize when making a Phillies Dodgers prediction.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Phillies-Dodgers MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Dodgers Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-102)
Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-118)
Over: 8.5 (-106)
Under: 8.5 (-114)
*Watch MLB Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Phillies Could Cover the Spread
The Phillies are in a groove at the plate. They are getting big hits from multiple players. Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Jean Segura, and Rhys Hoskins have all provided key hits this past week. The Phils won a series in Seattle and then beat the Dodgers 9-7 in the Thursday opener of this four-game weekend set in Dodger Stadium. The potential of this offense is well-known and respected. This week, that potential has become actualized. When this deep and talented lineup is clicking, the Phillies are very hard to beat.
It is also the case that the Dodgers are scuffling right now. They lost a series to the Pittsburgh Pirates and were hammered by the Phillies in the first five innings on Thursday before rallying to tie in the eighth, only to lose to Philadelphia in the ninth. The Dodgers have gone through a few lulls this year, and this is one of them. It's also a plot twist to have Walker Buehler move from Saturday starter to Friday starter. Will that affect his concentration? It's something to monitor when considering a Phillies Dodgers pick.
Why The Dodgers Could Cover the Spread
After losing three of four and dropping a series to the Pirates, the Dodgers are bound to play better. This team is way too good to continue losing games on a consistent basis. Losing to the Phillies on Thursday after tying the game as part of a six-run rally should simultaneously anger the Dodgers yet also remind them that they are capable of fighting back from early deficits. If the Phillies get an early two-run lead, the Dodgers are not going to panic. They're going to rally. This is part of the caluclus in the larger framework of the Phillies Dodgers odds.
Final Phillies-Dodgers Prediction & Pick
The Dodgers have done a lot of losing this week. Walker Buehler is going on four days of rest, not three, despite the late change in the pitching matchup from Clayton Kershaw. Los Angeles is due for a breakout game which gets this team back on track.
Final Phillies-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5
Follow Us
Subscribe