Nationals vs. Phillies 9/2 Prediction
After they were shut out on Tuesday night in Philadelphia, the Nationals will send Max Scherzer to the hill on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Will Washington recover with a victory?
Game Snapshot
Who: Nationals (12-21) at Phillies (16-15)
When: 7:05 p.m. ET, Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
Odds: Nationals (-114) at Phillies (+106) O/U 8
Public Betting: Check out our MLB Public Betting Chart Page
Washington Nationals DFS Spin
Adam Eaton went 0-for-4 from the sixth spot in the Nationals’ order Tuesday against the Phillies. That the Nationals dropped Eaton from the second spot in the order last week wasn’t much of a surprise, but the timing was odd; he had hit two homers in the three games prior to the move. Still, he ended up at just .220/.268/.385 in 98 plate appearances during the month of August. Sixth seems like the best spot for him right now.
Philadelphia Phillies
Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer and walked Tuesday versus the Nationals. McCutchen has five homers in his last 15 games after hitting none in his first 14 games. He’s also driven in 18 runs during that 15-game span, which is pretty crazy for an NL leadoff hitter. Of course, NL leadoff hitters aren’t batting behind pitchers this year, so that helps a bunch.
Nationals vs. Phillies Betting Prediction
Scherzer is coming off a dominant performance against the Red Sox on Friday, surrendering just one run over six innings while striking out 11. He allowed six hits and walked one, but the only score came on an RBI double off the bat of Rafael Devers in the third inning. He has four double-digit strikeout games in his last seven starts this season and owns a 3.58 ERA coming into tonight’s game.
Meanwhile, Zack Wheeler pitched well in a no-decision against the Braves on that same Friday Scherzer faced Boston, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He now owns a 2.58 ERA, a 1.12 WHIP and a 23-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 38 1/3 innings of work. He’s been outstanding and worth the money the Phillies spent in free agency this past offseason.
If the defending champs were hitting right now, taking the Nationals -114 on the money line with Scherzer on the hill would be a great value. That said, only Trea Turner is swinging the bat well right now for the Nationals, who have struggled of late.
It’s the opposite in Philly, where McCutchen, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto are all swinging hot bats. With Wheeler being nearly as good as Scherzer this year, the true value is with the underdog Phillies tonight.
WEDNESDAY MLB PREDICTIONS: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES +106