Nationals vs. Phillies Sunday Prediction
With rain threatening in the Philadelphia area, the Nationals and Phillies will try to play the rubber match of their weekend series at 2:05 p.m. ET on Sunday. Assuming they get the game in, will the Phillies earn a series victory before the Nats leave town?
Game Snapshot & Odds
903 Washington Nationals (+140) at 904 Philadelphia Phillies (-161); 8.5 runs
Sunday, May 5, 2019
2:05 p.m. ET, Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
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Public Betting Trends
According to our MLB Public Betting Chart page, 78% of the betting tickets are on the Phillies to beat the Nationals on the money line.
Washington Nationals Fantasy Spin
Victor Robles went 2-for-2 and hit the go-ahead homer in the top of the eighth inning to give the Nationals a 10-8 victory over the Phillies on Saturday. Robles was on the bench at the start of this one, but got a chance to play after Michael A. Taylor left with a wrist injury. After Kurt Suzuki hit a three-run homer to tie the game at 8-8, Robles blasted a solo shot to ninth to give Washington a 9-8 lead off of Adam Morgan. It’s the sixth homer of the season for the 21-year-old, and he’s now driven in 13 runs to go along with seven steals in eight attempts. The .258 average and .299 on-base percentage leave a lot to be desired, but those numbers should increase as we get deeper into the year.
Philadelphia Phillies Fantasy Spin
Jean Segura went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in a loss to the Nationals on Saturday. Segura is scorching hot right now. It’s the third straight multi-hit game for the shortstop, and the fourth in five games. One of those three hits on Saturday was a double, and he gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead on that two-bagger. He’s now hitting .360/.406/.551 in his first season with Philadelphia. We’ve seen Segura go through these kind of hot streaks before — and while there are generally a few frustrating cold fronts to go along with it — the good outweighs the bad.
MLB Betting Trends
Washington
The Nationals are 3-7 in their last 10 games overall and just 1-4 in Anibal Sanchez’s last five starts.
Philadelphia
The Phillies are a perfect 4-0 in Zach Eflin’s last four home starts and are 5-2 in their last seven home games.
Prediction:
I’ll have to lay the 1.5 runs because their money line odds are too expensive, but I do like the Phillies in today’s matchup. Eflin has done a nice job of not issuing free passes and limiting hard contact, and will face a depleted Washington lineup that is dealing with more injuries. Matt Adams (shoulder) and Michael Taylor (wrist) both underwent MRIs following yesterday’s game and the team recalled outfielder Andrew Stevenson from Triple-A Fresno on Monday morning. With Juan Soto (back) also shelved for the moment, Eflin and the Phillies’ top-10 bullpen should have an edge this afternoon.
The Pick: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+125)