The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals will continue their four-game series on Tuesday. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Phillies-Nationals prediction and pick.

The Phillies pulled off a massive comeback in the first game of this series, scoring five runs in the top of the ninth to scrape out a victory. That win cut Philadelphia's deficit in the NL East to a mere 2.5 games. The Nationals are only 6.5 games back in the same division, but it feels like their playoff hopes are nonexistent. Washington made a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline that shipped off two of its best players, essentially waving the white flag on this season. Regardless of their playoff status, the Nationals would love to play spoiler to a division rival and even the series score.

Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Tuesday's game.

MLB Odds: Phillies-Nationals Odds

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Philadelphia Phillies ML (-175)

Washington Nationals ML (+161)

Over 8 runs (-116)

Under 8 runs (-104)

Why The Phillies Could Win

Whenever Zack Wheeler pitches, the Phillies' odds of winning skyrocket. Wheeler has been nothing short of elite this year, earning a 2.45 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. Those are Cy Young-level stats. Wheeler's advanced stats are also fantastic and match up perfectly against the Nationals. Washington has five hitters with a strikeout percentage of 24.8% or higher, which is a pretty high rate. Wheeler owns a 29.8% strikeout percentage, an incredible number for any pitcher. The righty should rack up the strikeouts against this Nationals team that has trouble making contact with two strikes.

The Phillies are lucky enough to be facing Patrick Corbin in this one. Corbin has been abysmal this season, posting a 5.78 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. His last seven appearances have been even worse, as his ERA rises to 6.10 in that span. The last time he faced Philadelphia, Corbin gave up four runs over five innings. The Phillies should be able to replicate that performance for a multitude of reasons.

Philadelphia is a much better offensive team against left-handed pitching. Their team batting average rises from .236 against right-handers to .256 against lefties. Corbin owns a 17.2% strikeout percentage, which is a ridiculously low number. That should help a Philadelphia lineup that tends to strike out a little bit more than average.

Why The Nationals Could Win

The Phillies may have one of MLB's best pitchers on the mound, but this Washington lineup is capable of hitting anyone. They rank inside the top 10 in the league in batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage. The Nationals have already proven that they're capable of hitting Wheeler, as the righty has allowed six runs over his last 10 innings against Washington.

This Nationals offense is also much better whenever they play at home. All of their offensive stats jump when the play in Nationals Park, including batting average, OBP, and OPS. Another helpful stat is that Wheeler is slightly worse whenever he pitches on the road. His ERA rises to 2.84, with his opponent's batting average jumping from .202 at Citizens Bank Park to .241 anywhere else. An offensive outburst from Washington is far from impossible.

Final Phillies-Nationals Prediction & Pick

This is a pretty easy pick. The Phillies have a Cy Young candidate on the mound, and the Nationals have Patrick Corbin. Corbin won't be able to hold down this Philadelphia offense, and Washington won't be scoring much on Wheeler. The Phillies should coast to a second straight victory here.

FINAL PICK: Philadelphia Phillies ML (-175)