Closing today’s MLB slate, the Philadelphia Phillies will kick off a series against the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. ET, with Andrew Painter and Adrian Houser the expected pitching matchup.
The Phillies are -120 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Giants sit as a +100 underdog. The run total is set at eight runs.
Phillies vs. Giants prediction, preview
The Phillies are 5-4 to start the season and enter this game following a loss to the Rockies on Sunday. After three straight years with 90+ wins, the Phillies have kept the same core together with a few tweaks around the edges, with the hopes they can get over the World Series hump. So far this season, the Phillies are 2-7 to the run line, and 5-3-1 to the over/under.
Painter will be making his second start of his MLB career tonight. The rookie looked impressive in his first start against the Nationals, throwing 5.1 innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits, and striking out eight. Painter has been a prized prospect in the organization for several years and provides a youthful pop to an experienced roster.
Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner headline the notable bats, with Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm and Adolis Garcia each off to strong starts to the year. The Phillies have slash lines of .227/.307/.383 with 11 home runs and 75 strikeouts tallied. The collective unit can be a bit all-or-nothing, but when the bats get rolling, the Phillies can go toe-to-toe with any team.
The San Francisco Giants are 3-7 and are looking to snap a three-game losing streak tonight. San Francisco has missed the playoffs in four consecutive seasons and is looking to build off its 81-81 record last year. It is an MLB-worst 2-8 to the run line thus far, and 4-3-3 to the over/under.
Houser will make his second start of the season. The right-hander had a solid outing in his Giants’ debut, going 5.1 innings and allowing one earned run on six hits while striking out four. Houser threw 125 innings last year across with the White Sox and Rays, producing a 3.31 ERA with 122 hits allowed and 92 strikeouts.
Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman headline the team’s offense. San Francisco added former Phillies Harrison Bader in the offseason, while Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos also play notable roles. The Giants are slashing .208/.269/.292 this season with four home runs and 83 strikeouts thus far. San Francisco is tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the fewest runs tallied this year, with just 26 on the season.
Phillies vs. Giants pick, best bet
Painter is an X-factor as he settles into his MLB career. He looked impressive in his debut, but the Phillies will protect him if there’s any trouble. Philadelphia retooled the bullpen, which will make a difference this season. Teams have held the Giants to three or fewer runs in eight of their 10 games thus far. Facing an unfamiliar pitcher is not an ideal solution to this.
While the Phillies’ bats have not fully settled in just yet, there have been some encouraging signs. Turner, Marsh and Garcia have each tallied 10+ hits through their first nine games, while Schwarber is up to three home runs. This is more reliable than the Giants’ offense, especially since Houser’s career 7.1 K/9 is not intimidating to a strikeout-heavy Philadelphia lineup.
The Phillies are catching the Giants in a vulnerable state. Expect Painter to build off his strong first start against a Giants offense that doesn’t have much of a pulse.
Best bet: Phillies Moneyline (-120)
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