The Washington Nationals (55-69) travel to face off against the Philadelphia Phillies (73-50) on Sunday, August 18th. This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and televised on MASN. 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 Phillies. First pitch is set for 12:35 CT.
Nationals vs. Phillies Betting Prediction
- Money Line Prediction: Phillies (-177)
- Over/Under Prediction: Under 9.5 Runs
- The Phillies have won 4 of their last 5 home games.
- In the last 3 games against the Nationals, the Phillies have outscored them 21-6.
- The Phillies have a league-leading home record of 42-22.
- The Phillies have scored an average of 7.2 runs per game in their last 5 home games.
- The Nationals are on a 4-game losing streak.
Nationals vs Phillies
Philadelphia cruised to a 5-1 win over the Nationals in the most recent game of this series. The Phillies had a huge 6th inning, scoring four of their five runs. As for the Nationals, they scored their only run in the 4th. Heading into the game, the Phillies were favored at -234 on the money line.
Cristopher Sanchez pitched well for the Phillies in this one, going nine innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with four strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk. On the other side, MacKenzie Gore got the start for the Nationals, going just 5 2/3 innings and giving up five runs.
At the plate, the Phillies were led by Nick Castellanos and Weston Wilson, as they were the only two Phillies hitters to have more than one hit. Castellanos also scored two runs and drove in a run. Alex Call had the only multi-hit game for the Nationals, going 2/4.
Washington is struggling, as they have lost four straight games and three in a row to the Phillies. Their overall record is 55-69, and they are 18.5 games behind the Phillies in the NL East. The Nationals have a 16-18 record against divisional opponents this season.
As underdogs, the Nationals have a 60-44 record against the run line this season. Their games have averaged 9.0 runs per game, and they have gone over the total in 62 of 119 games. The under has hit in two straight games for Washington.
Jake Irvin Gets The Start For The Nationals
Jake Irvin gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Phillies on the road. So far, he has made 25 starts and has a record of 9-10. Irvin’s ERA is 3.72, along with a WHIP of 1.13. In his 25 starts, he has turned in 14 quality starts and is averaging 7.57 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Irvin picked up the win, going six innings and giving up two earned runs. Before that, he had lost two straight starts. One concerning trend is that he has given up at least one homer in three straight outings.
Nationals Offense Breakdown
Washington’s offense has been one of the worst home run hitting teams in the league this season, as they are currently 26th in the league in home runs. Overall, they are averaging just 4.2 runs per game (19th) and have the league’s 20th ranked OPS. However, they do come into the game with a team batting average of .243, which is 11th best in the MLB.
Both Luis Garcia Jr. and CJ Abrams come into the game with 59 RBIs, which is the best mark on the team. Garcia is batting .290 for the season, while Abrams is hitting just .246. However, Abrams does have a team-high 17 home runs. James Wood has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 8/19 in his last five games.
Philadelphia is favored in today’s game, and they have a 62-38 record as the favorite this season. The Phillies have won four straight games and hold an 8-game lead in the NL East over the Braves with a 73-50 overall record.
This season, Phillies games have averaged 8.9 runs, and their over/under record is 57-60. The under has hit in their last two games, and when the total has been set at 9.5 runs, the over is 4-7.
Taijuan Walker Gets The Start For The Phillies
Taijuan Walker gets the start for the Phillies today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Marlins. In that start, he took the loss, going 4 innings and giving up 3 earned runs. Looking back over his last three outings, Walker has taken the loss in each one. His record for the season is 3-4, and he has an ERA of 5.68. Opponents are batting .279 off Walker this season. So far, he has made 11 appearances, and his ERA at home is 5.94 compared to 5.57 on the road.
Phillies Offense Breakdown
For the season, the Phillies are averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 6th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.3 runs per game, which is the 2nd best mark in the MLB. As a team, they are batting .258, which is the 4th best mark in the league.
Philadelphia’s offense is led by Alec Bohm, who is hitting .296 for the season and has gone 6/22 in his last six games. Bohm also has 13 homers, which is 4th on the team. Kyle Schwarber has gone deep 28 times this season, which is 8th in the MLB, and is batting .251 for the season.
Nationals vs Phillies Prediction
Our predicted final score for this Nationals vs. Phillies matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Phillies. However, we are actually going to recommend taking the under in this game, as the over/under line is sitting at 9.5 runs, and we have this one finishing with a combined nine runs.
Looking at some of the starting pitcher projections, we have Taijuan Walker finishing with four strikeouts, which is second worst among today’s starters. As for Jake Irvin, we have him finishing with five K’s, which is seventh worst.
Offensively, we have the Phillies finishing with nine hits, while the Nationals are predicted to finish with nine. However, the Nationals are projected to finish with just two home runs, compared to the Phillies, who are predicted to finish with 1.5.
At their current money line odds, the Phillies are a bit too pricey at -177, and we would recommend taking the under at -114.
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 18, 2024 Nationals, Phillies