The Phillies and Nationals play the first game of their four-game series on Monday, June 22.
Washington is a -126 moneyline favorite, while Philadelphia is +104 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The game total is set at over/under 9.5 runs.
Let’s get into a pick and prediction for this Phillies vs. Nationals game.
Phillies vs. Nationals prediction, preview
The NL East is always fun. Whether it’s ultra-competitive or chaotic, it’s always worth following the teams. This week kicks off with a four-game series between the Phillies and Nationals, who sit in second and fourth place in the division, respectively. Just 2.5 games separate the two teams, although they are vastly different squads.
Washington is a young, up-and-coming team with players such as James Wood at the top of the order. He’s batting .270 with 20 home runs and 49 RBI in his third MLB season, and he’s on pace to record career-highs in hits, runs, home runs, RBI, and walks. Wood headlines the Nationals’ elite offense, which ranks first in total runs scored this year.
Philadelphia’s starter is Tim Mayza, who will serve as the opener. He has one start this year, but he hasn’t pitched more than 2.0 innings at a time. He has a 2.97 ERA and has allowed at least one hit in 21 of 29 appearances. The Phillies’ bullpen ranks 14th in collective ERA, so it may allow a couple runs to trickle in.
It’s a good thing the Phillies’ offense is scorching — at least Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are. Harper recorded a cycle on Saturday and Schwarber hit three home runs in the same game. Both stars have at least one home run in back-to-back games entering this series.
Foster Griffin will face the veteran-heavy Phillies following three good starts. He allowed one earned run in three straight games, pitching 5.0, 6.0, and 6.0 innings against the Diamondbacks, Giants, and Royals, respectively.
Phillies vs. Nationals Pick, Best Bet
Although Griffin has been great recently, the Phillies’ offense rocked over the weekend. I’m expecting Harper and Schwarber to stay hot and get a few runs on the board in this divisional matchup. The Nationals will do most of the heavy lifting here, as a bullpen day for Philadelphia could be messy against the best run-scoring offense in the majors.
