Two NL contenders went toe-to-toe last night as the Philadelphia Phillies (90-61) and Los Angeles Dodgers (84-66) battled on the West Coast. While the visitors came out on top with a 6-5 win to start this three-game set, the series continues on Tuesday with a rematch that sees a couple of top arms take the mound. With Cristopher Sanchez dueling Shohei Ohtani, tonight’s game becomes a must-watch affair for bettors and fans alike.
Here’s a Dodgers vs. Phillies prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Tuesday night.
Dodgers vs. Phillies prediction, preview
The Phillies recently punched their ticket to the MLB Postseason, but the Dodgers are still in the hunt as they work to protect their two-game lead atop the NL West. Every matchup matters as time runs out on the regular season, so Los Angeles needs to bounce back tonight in a big way. However, facing this hot Philadelphia squad will prove challenging once more.
Los Angeles is 6-4 across their last 10 games and just 6-7 in September. In those 13 contests this month, the Dodgers average 5.15 runs per game while hitting .274 with a .796 OPS. The latter two marks both rank inside the top six, and the team has 18 home runs over the same span with a .179 ISO. Despite being a bit strikeout-happy this year, the Dodgers have actually cut back to a K% of just 18.6%, the second-best in baseball. The BB/K of 0.49 also ranks atop the MLB, so the plate process has looked exemplary as of late. It’s surprising to see the 6-7 record this month when considering that Los Angeles also ranks seventh in ERA at 3.61 while underperforming a 3.15 xERA and 3.18 FIP, so the team has dealt with some poor luck as it seems.
Looking toward the Phillies, they’re among the sport’s hottest squads with an 11-3 record in September and an 8-2 record in their last 10 games. The lineup averages six runs per game with the most total runs scored of any team this month, and the stats at the plate make it easy to see why. Philadelphia ranks atop the MLB in batting average (.298), OPS (.894), BABIP (.349), hits (142) and home runs (24). The team also comes in second in ISO (.229) and triples (five). With the bats scorching hot, a 4.03 team ERA matters a little bit less, though a 3.77 xERA implies a slight bit of bad luck on the mound. Simply put, this team has rallied as of late and look like a real force as the playoffs draw nearer.
Dodgers vs. Phillies pick, best bet
The Dodgers enter as -137 Moneyline favorites at home tonight on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Phillies are +113 underdogs with the run total set at 7.5 combined runs. The under holds a slight edge, favored at -115 odds.
The pitcher duel tonight brings plenty of excitement to the picture. For Los Angeles, Shohei Ohtani (3.75 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 49 SO in 36.0 IP) takes the mound. He’s seen a limited sample of work and won’t throw deep into this game, but the Japanese superstar looks sharp with an outstanding 98th-percentile fastball velocity and a 32.9 K% while limiting hard hits. He faces Philadelphia lefty Cristopher Sanchez (2.57 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 192 SO in 182.1 IP), who’s stepped up in the absence of Zack Wheeler. Sanchez grades out in the 97th percentile in pitching run value and 96th percentile in ground-ball percentage, but he still logs a 26.0 K% that ranks in the upper quartile.
This looks like a premier matchup between top teams tonight, so it’s tough to make a call on which side comes out on top. However, the Phillies bring the best lineup in baseball to this game and Sanchez should stay in much longer than Ohtani, who’s gone five innings just once this season back on August 27. With an edge on the mound and a hotter batting order, I’m inclined to take Philadelphia to win on the Moneyline. After all, chances to take this team at plus money don’t come around often, so I’m seizing the value while I can in what should be a fantastic game between contenders.
Best bet: PHI Phillies ML (+113)
Click the odds on this bet to tail!
