Phillies vs. Nationals Thursday Pick
Will Max Scherzer lead the Washington Nationals to victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon when these National League East rivals wrap up their series at 1:05 p.m. ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
901 Philadelphia Phillies (+142) at 902 Washington Nationals (-158); 7 runs
Thursday, August 23, 2018
1:05 p.m. ET, Nationals Park
TV: PHI (NBCSP); WSH (MASN)
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Nationals as a -158 favorite. As of this writing, 67% of the betting tickets wagered at online sportsbooks are on the Nationals to beat the Phillies on the moneyline. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our MLB Public Betting Page for updated figures on this game.
Phillies’ Nola allows one run, strikes out 11 in win over Mets
Aaron Nola struck out 11 batters over seven innings of one-run ball in a 4-2 win over the Mets on Friday. It was his fifth double-digit strikeout game of the season. Nola allowed just three hits and one walk while hitting a batter, with the only run scoring on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. The Phillies’ ace has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in nine out of his last 10 starts. That gives him a 2.24 ERA and 160/44 K/BB ratio in 161 innings through 25 starts. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer still have better ERAs, but Nola is a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate in his own right.
Nationals’ Scherzer pitches six scoreless innings vs. Marlins
Max Scherzer fired six scoreless frames in an 8-2 win over the Marlins on Friday. Scherzer is now tops in the majors with 16 wins. He gave up five hits — all of them singles — and walked just one batter while striking out seven. Scherzer also went 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored, which brings his batting average to .296 for the year. He’s really doing it all. The Nats’ ace now holds a 2.11 ERA and 234/41 K/BB ratio in 174 2/3 innings through 26 starts this year. He’s building quite the case for this third straight National League Cy Young Award.
MLB Betting Trends
Philadelphia
The Phillies are 20-8 in Nola’s last 28 starts and 19-7 in his last 26 starts coming off five days of rest.
Washington
The Nationals are 11-5 in their last 16 home games versus a team with a losing road record.
Prediction:
The Nationals are an impressive 12-1 in Scherzer’s last 13 starts against the Phillies and are 4-0 in his last four home starts against Philadelphia. The nationals are also 52-22 in his last 74 starts and 20-7 in his last 27 home outings.
The Pick: Washington Nationals -158