The Washington Nationals (55-66) travel to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies (70-50) on Thursday, August 15th. This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and televised on NSPPH. The Phillies are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Nationals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Orioles. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.
Nationals vs. Phillies Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Phillies (-273)
- Over/Under Prediction: Over 8.5 Runs
- The Phillies have scored 5 or more runs in 8 of their last 15 games.
- The Phillies have a home record of 39-22, while the Nationals have an away record of 27-34.
- The Phillies have won 5 of their last 7 home games.
- The Phillies have a league rank of 2nd in the NL East, while the Nationals are ranked 13th.
- The Phillies have won 4 of their last 5 head-to-head games against the Nationals.
Nationals vs Phillies
The Phillies Took The Last Game Of This Series
The Nationals will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Orioles with a 4-1 loss. This was Washington’s third straight loss, and all three came on the road. Heading into the game, the Nationals were at +144 on the money line. Things started off well for the Nationals, as they got on the board with a run in the 2nd inning but gave up the lead right away as the Orioles scored two runs in the bottom of the second.
DJ Herz took the loss but pitched well for the Nationals, going six innings and giving up just two earned runs, and striking out five. However, the Nationals’ offense scored only one run, and it came in the 2nd inning. Alex Call was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with two doubles and a run scored. The Nationals also wasted a big game from Jake Alu, who went 3/4 with a double.
Washington enters today’s game with a 55-66 record, 15.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East and 7.5 games back in the Wild Card race. Their overall series record this season is 16-19-3. The Nationals have a 68-53 run line record, including 36-25 on the road and 59-42 as underdogs.
For games with an O/U line of 8.5 runs, Washington has a 17-17 O/U record. The average run total in Nationals games this season is 9.0 runs, with 40.5% of their games having higher totals than today’s line.
Mitchell Parker Gets The Start For The Nationals
Washington is sending left-hander Mitchell Parker to the mound today vs. the Phillies. He has made 21 starts this season and has a record of 6-6 with an ERA of 3.83. Parker’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.20. In his 21 appearances, he has turned in eight quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Parker finished with a no-decision vs. the Angels, giving up two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. So far, Parker’s ERA on the road is 9.64, compared to 3.85 at home.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense is 17th in the league in runs scored, averaging 4.3 runs per game. They have been a bit better on the road, also averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, the Nationals are batting .244, which is 11th in the league, and are also near the top of the league in terms of fewest strikeouts per game. However, they are 25th in the league in isolated power and are dead last in home runs.
Over his last seven games, Alex Call has gone 13/32 for the Nationals, and Luis Garcia Jr. has also been swinging a hot bat, going 7/22 with a homer and six RBIs. CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia Jr. are the team’s top two home run hitters, with 17 and 14 homers, respectively.
The Phillies Are Coming Off A Win
The Phillies’s offense was hot right out of the gates in their most recent game vs. the Marlins, closing out their series with a 9-5 win. After allowing three runs to the Marlins in the top of the first, the Phillies responded with a run of their own and added three more in the 2nd inning. Philadelphia went on to add another two runs in the 4th.
Starting for the Phillies was Tyler Phillips, who picked up the win. He only lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up five earned runs on nine hits. Kyle Schwarber had a big game at the plate, going 1/5 with a homer and four RBIs.
Philadelphia has a 59-38 record as the favorite this season, and their overall series record is 19-15-6. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games and are coming off a series split vs. the Marlins. The Phillies lead the NL East with a 70-50 record, six games ahead of the Braves.
When the total is set at 8.5 runs, the over has hit 11 times and the under 13 times in 34 games, making up 28.3% of their contests. The Phillies’ run line record is 29-32 at home and 30-29 on the road, contributing to their overall 59-61 run line record. Their average run margin per game is +0.7, with a +3.9 margin in wins and -3.7 in losses.
Zack Wheeler Gets The Start For The Phillies
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler has been tough to hit this season, coming in with a record of 11-5 and an ERA of 2.78. Wheeler has made 23 starts this year and has turned in 17 quality starts. His WHIP for the season is an impressive 1.00. In his last outing, Wheeler finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had won three straight starts. Wheeler’s ERA at home is 2.78, compared to 3.91 on the road.
Phillies Offense Breakdown
The Phillies have been a good offensive team this season, averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 7th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are 5th in the league in batting average at .255 and have the 8th most home runs in the league. Kyle Schwarber has been a big part of their home run success, as his 28 homers is the best mark on the team and 9th in the MLB. Schwarber has also been hot of late, going 9/32 (.281) with five homers over his last eight games.
Leading the Phillies in RBIs is Alec Bohm, who is also batting .297, and his 81 RBIs is 10th best in the league. Bryce Harper is 2nd on the team with 26 homers and is batting .281 for the season.
Nationals vs Phillies Prediction
Our prediction for this Nationals vs. Phillies matchup is to take the Phillies to pick up a win at home, but we actually like the over/under pick even more. We have the final score at 6-5 in favor of the Phillies, giving us some wiggle room with the over/under line sitting at 8.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Zack Wheeler finishing with six strikeouts compared to Mitchell Parker with just five. Wheeler’s chances of picking up a win are also much better than Parker’s, as he is our top-ranked pitcher in terms of win probability.
For Parker, we have him going just four innings, and he is projected to finish with fewer strikeouts than all but one other starter today. As for the Nationals lineup, they are projected to finish with the ninth most runs today and are last in terms of projected home runs.
As for the Phillies, they are projected to finish with the sixth most runs today and are fourth in terms of home runs.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:August 15, 2024 Nationals, Phillies