Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Betting Pick & Prediction 8/17/24
There is a chance for rain in Philadelphia on Saturday, where the Nationals and Phillies will face off at Citizens Bank Park. The forecasted temperature is 78 degrees. Washington is currently on a three-game losing streak and is 55-68 overall, while the Phillies are 72-50 and have won three straight.
First pitch for this one is set for 6:05 PM ET, and MASN will be televising the Nationals. The money line odds have the Phillies at -202 compared to the Nationals at +170. Saturday’s over/under line is sitting at 9 runs. Cristopher Sanchez is starting for the Phillies, and the Nationals are going with MacKenzie Gore.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS VS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BETTING PICK
The Pick: OVER 9 Runs
This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park at 6:05 ET on Saturday, August 17th.
HOW TO BET THE NATIONALS VS PHILLIES:
- We have the Phillies winning by a score of 6 to 5
- However, if you’re looking for a run line pick, we like the Nationals to cover
- As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 11 runs and like the over
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Phillies vs Nationals series. Philadelphia went into the matchup as -280 favorites and squeaked out a 3-2 win. Washington had a late rally, scoring two runs in the 9th, but Kyle Finnegan took the loss. Aaron Nola pitched well for the Phillies, going 6 2/3 innings and striking out four without giving up a run.
Trea Turner was the difference for the Phillies, as he went 4/5 with a run scored and an RBI. James Wood also had a three-hit game for Washington.
Philadelphia’s offense only had one more hit than the Nationals and struck out four more times, but still picked up the win. Heading into the game, the Phillies had lost four in a row.
Nationals Records & Stats
With an overall record of 55-68, the Nationals are 4th in the NL East, trailing the Phillies by 17.5 games. So far, they are 16-17 in divisional matchups. The Nationals are on a three-game losing streak, dropping the first two games of this series vs. the Phillies.
Washington has gone 4-6 across their last 10 games, and they are 5.0 games behind the Reds for the second NL Wild Card spot. This year, the Nationals have been a perfect 3-0 against the Phillies.
The Nationals have a run line record of 69-54 this season, including a 37-26 mark on the road. Their average run margin is -0.6, and they have a run line record of 32-28 at home. Washington is 9-11 against the run line as the favorite and 60-43 as the underdog.
Washington’s games have averaged 9.1 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 62-56. When the over/under line is set at 9 runs, their record is 13-13-3. So far this season, 59.3% of their games have had lower over/under lines than 9 runs.
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore gets the start for the Nationals today as he faces the Phillies on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 7-10 with an ERA of 4.50. Gore’s WHIP for the season is 1.57, and opponents are batting .268 off him this year. In his 24 appearances, Gore has turned in five quality starts and is averaging 9.75 strikeouts per nine innings. In his most recent outing, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.
Washington’s offense has been one of the league’s worst home run hitting teams this season, as they are just 25th in the league in homers. As a team, they are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 18th in the MLB. The Nationals are also just 20th in the league in terms of slugging percentage and OPS. However, they have been good at putting the ball in play this season, as they have the 6th fewest strikeouts in the league.
Luis Garcia Jr. and CJ Abrams come into the game as the Nationals’ top home run hitters, with 14 and 17 homers, respectively. Both players also have 59 RBIs. Garcia Jr. is on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .292 for the season. James Wood has been hot at the plate for Washington, going 11/27 in his last seven games.
Phillies Records & Stats
With an overall record of 72-50, the Phillies lead the NL East by eight games over the Braves. The Phillies have won three straight games, and they have gone 18-11 against other teams in the NL East. At home, the Phillies are 41-22 this season.
Philadelphia has an overall series record of 19-15-6 this year, and they are 6-4 across their last 10 games. As the favorite, the Phillies have gone 61-38 this year, and they are 40-20 as the favorite at home. So far, they have been the underdog 23 times, and they are 11-12 in those games.
The Phillies have a run line record of 60-62 this season, including a mark of 30-33 at home. Their average run margin is +0.8 runs per game, and they have a +1.4 run differential in home games. As the favorite, they are 48-51 on the run line, compared to 12-11 as the underdog.
When the Phillies play at home, the over/under line is set at 9 runs, which is exactly their combined run average for the season. Their over/under record is 57-59 overall, but when the line is set at 9 runs, they have gone 5-11-1. In 71.3% of their games this season, the over/under line has been set at fewer than 9 runs.
Left-hander Cristopher Sánchez gets the start for the Phillies today as he faces the Nationals at home. Sánchez has made 23 starts this season and has a record of 8-8 with a 3.63 ERA. In his 23 appearances, he has one complete game shutout and 12 quality starts. Sánchez’s ERA at home is 2.52, and he has a record of 6-3 at home. The last time he took the mound, he gave up seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts.
Philadelphia comes into the game as one of the league’s top offenses, averaging 4.9 runs per game this season, which is 6th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.3 runs per game. The Phillies have been one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams, and they also have a good team batting average of .257.
Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper have been two of the Phillies’ top power threats this season, with Schwarber leading the team with 28 homers and Harper right behind him at 26. Alec Bohm has been hot of late, going 8/27 in his last seven games, and is batting .296 for the season. Bohm also has a three-game hitting streak coming into the game.