Zack Wheeler will get the start for the Phillies (61-51, 30-21 home) as they host the Nationals (49-63, 27-29 away) at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals will give the starting nod to Trevor Williams. Check out my prediction for game one of this NL East matchup between the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS VS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Washington Nationals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park at 4:05 ET on Tuesday, August 8th.

WHY BET THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS:

  • In their last ten games, the Nationals have gone 7-3 vs. the runline.
  • The Nationals have covered the runline in each of their four most recent games as the underdog.
  • The Phillies have gone 1-2 in Zack Wheeler’s last five starts.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Heading into the game, the Nationals are 5th in the NL East on an overall record of 49-63. The team’s season-long road record is 27-29, which includes losing each of their past three road series. Against the runline, the Nationals are 63-49 and have an over/under mark of 53-56. Their runline record on the road is 38-18 this year.

Trevor Williams is making his 23rd start of the season with a 5-6 record. His ERA stands at 4.72, while opponents are batting .286 against him. On the road, he is 3-3 with a 5.20 ERA, and at home he is 2-3 on an ERA of 4.46. Teams have a slugging percentage of .503 against Williams for the year.

Trevor Williams was unable to secure a victory in his latest start against the Mets, giving up five runs on seven hits over four innings of work. The Nationals ultimately fell 5-2 in the contest.

Offensively, Washington is ranked 18th in the league with an average of 4.3 runs per game. When looking over their last ten matchups, the Nationals averaged 5.2 runs per contest, which is 10th best in that span. In terms of their power numbers, Washington is 22nd in all of baseball, with a total of 99 home runs.

Lane Thomas has been one of the Nationals’ most reliable hitters this season, boasting a .290 batting average and driving in 65 runs. He has also shown off his power, smacking 19 home runs in 2023.

WILL THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

With an overall record of 61-51, the Phillies are 2nd in the NL East. When playing at home, they are 30-21 and 31-30. So far, Philadelphia has a record of 25-25 against below .500 teams and have played in 35 series, going 20-13-2.

Today marks Zack Wheeler’s 23rd outing of the season, and his record currently stands at 8-5. His ERA is 3.71 and opponents have a .279 OBP against him. He has struck out 149 batters thus far, with a WHIP of 1.11. On the road, his ERA is 4.19 compared to 4.26 when pitching at home.

Despite a quality start in his last outing, Zack Wheeler was unable to secure the win for the Phillies, as they fell to the Marlins 9-8. Wheeler went six innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits, and was credited with a no-decision.

Having gone deep 11 times in their last ten games, the Phillies are 9th in that span. At 4.6 runs per game, Philadelphia is 14th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .255 while hitting a total of 123 home runs (17th).

Nick Castellanos has been a major contributor to the Phillies’ offense this season, leading the team in home runs over their last five games with two. His total for the season stands at 17, and he’s batting .274.