It's game two of a four-game set as the Philadelphia Phillies visit the Cincinnati Reds. It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Phillies-Reds prediction, picks, and how-to-watch.
Some Phillies players may be more concerned with beer sales than winning games right now. While an understandable argument, the Phillies are struggling. They have lost three straight and are just 4-9 on the season. The Reds lost this series in Philadelphia earlier in the year, and after being swept by the Braves, finally got back in the win column with a 6-2 victory over the Phillies.
Here are the Phillies-Reds MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Reds Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+106)
Cincinnati Reds: +1.5 (-128)
Over: 9.5 (-122)
Under: 9.5 (+100)
How To Watch Phillies vs. Reds
TV: NBCSP/BSOH
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
The Phillies are hitting the ball fairly well. They are currently third in baseball with a .280 batting average, and their .329 on-base percentage ranks 13th. The walk numbers are not good, with only 32 walks, which ranks them 27th in the year. Still, the batting average is helping to carry them. Their biggest issue is getting runners across the plate. They are leaving way too many runners in scoring positions this year. On the season they average 3.85 runners left in scoring position per game, which is 23rd in baseball. Last night, they left five in a scoring position leading to the loss.
On offense, they are led by Bryson Stott currently, who is off to a historic start on the season. He currently is hitting .400, with an on-base percentage of .411. While he is getting one base, he has only scored three times in the year. Alex Bohm is currently leading the team in RBIs with 11 while hitting .327 on his own.
Pitching has been the major concern for the Phillies. Their team ERA ranks 25th in MLB, and four relievers have an ERA of 9.00 or worse. This is led by Yunior Marte, who in his two appearances has pitched just one inning, and has an ERA of 54.00. Taijuan Walker will get the start for the Phillies, and he has to keep this game out of the hands of the bullpen. In his first two starts, he has failed to do that though, going under five innings in both while giving up six runs in nine innings on the year.
Why The Reds Could Cover The Spread
The Reds have been struggling in a multitude of places over the year. They were swept by the Braves, and it was different failures in each game. There were hitting issues, starting pitching issues, and bullpen issues throughout the series. As a team, the Reds are hitting just .247, which is 16th in MLB. They are getting on bases at a good percentage considering the batting average. Their OBP is .333, which ranks them 12th in the league. They are struggling with power though, with just 12 home runs on the season, ranking them 22nd in that category.
The team leader in home runs is Jason Vosler, who has three on the season. When he is not hitting home runs, he has been getting extra base hits, with two doubles and a triple this year. His nine RBIs are also tied for the team lead. The problem he is having is hitting singles. He has just six hits on the season, all of the extra base variety. This has led to a .167 batting average on the year. Jonathan India has been a big bright spot for the Reds. On the season he has an OBP of .418 and has been one of the few Reds to be scoring. He has scored 13 runs this season while also stealing three bases.
On the mound tonight will be Connor Overton. He has not been great this year, but the Reds have managed to win both of his starts. In his two starts, he has pitched four innings both of them while giving up nine runs, 14 hits, and four walks in the two starts combined. The offense and bullpen have bailed him out so far, but he needs to miss more bats. He is giving up nearly two hits per inning of work this year, which is a recipe for disaster.
Final Phillies-Reds Prediction & Pick
Neither team has been good to start the year. The Phillies are missing key bats, and the ones they do have are not performing to standard. The Reds have been pretty average across the board as a team, with some players excelling in aspects of the game, but failing in other areas. Neither team has shown enough consistency to expect huge winning streaks to be coming, but the Phillies have more talent and potential. They are the better all-around club and have the slightly better pitcher today. They ride that and get a few timely hits to get the win.
Final Phillies-Reds Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+106)
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