| MATCHUP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Game Info: Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 4:05 pm (Nationals Park) | |
| TV | MASN | |
Washington Nationals (0-0) vs Philadelphia Phillies (0-0)
Game Info: Thursday, March 27, 2025 at 4:05 pm (Nationals Park)
The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals meet on Thursday in MLB action at the Nationals Park. Here’s a Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals Prediction. This article will include a Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals Pick.
Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview
The Philadelphia Phillies have improved their win total in each of their last three seasons, and they’re coming off a 95-win season. The Phillies bring back most of last year’s roster, outside of the addition of Max Kepler, and they should be thinking World Series or bust. Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and JT Realmuto hold down the batting lineup, while Zack Wheeler is a CY Young caliber pitcher. The addition of Jesus Luzardo can’t be ignored, as he’s a big strikeout guy and can go on insane stretches. When Aaron Nola is your third option, you have a solid pitching rotation. Again, the Phillies are built to make a postseason run with the combination of experience and talent. It’s just about getting over that hump. The Phillies will meet the Rockies and Dodgers after this series.
Zack Wheeler gets the ball for the Phillies, and he was 16-7 with a 2.57 ERA and 224 strikeouts last season. Wheeler is 14-15 with a 4.45 ERA and 187 strikeouts in his career against the Nationals.
Washington Nationals Betting Preview
The Washington Nationals have lost 90-plus games in each of the last four seasons and haven’t made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2019. Not much is expected this season either, but the development of guys like Dylan Crews and James Wood could go a long way to building for the future. I do like the addition of Josh Bell, as there’s still above-average power in that bat, and he adds a veteran presence to an otherwise young team. You can also do worse than a starting rotation that includes MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, and Mitchell Parker. The Nationals will be more competitive once their young guys start to hit the ground running, but don’t expect a huge jump in an NL East where there are three legitimate World Series contenders. The Nationals will take on the Blue Jays following this series.
MacKenzie Gore gets the ball for the Nationals, and he was 10-12 with a 3.90 ERA and 181 strikeouts last season. Gore is 1-4 with a 4.96 ERA and 46 strikeouts in his career against the Phillies.
Why the Washington Nationals will win
- The Phillies have lost four of their last five games as road favorites against National League opponents.
- The Nationals have won three of their last four games as underdogs against the Phillies.
- The Phillies have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four games.
- The Nationals have covered the run line in three of their last four games as home underdogs against NL East opponents.
Why the Philadelphia Phillies will win
- The Nationals have lost 12 of their last 13 Thursday home games against NL East opponents.
- The Phillies have won each of their last eight Thursday games as favorites against the Nationals.
- The Nationals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six season openers.
- The Phillies have covered the run line in three of their last four road openers against NL East opponents.
- The Nationals have trailed after 3 innings in four of their last five home openers as underdogs.
- The Phillies have led after 5 innings in four of their last five season openers as favorites.
Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals Prediction
If the Phillies are who we think they are, they set the tone early and start the season off with a victory. The Nationals just don’t have the offense to hang with the Phillies, and it doesn’t help that they’re facing Wheeler. While Gore showed flashes last season, he’s allowing a .286 batting average and .820 OPS in 147 at-bats against current Phillies. That includes seven homers and 21 RBI. The Phillies clearly enjoy facing Gore, especially guys like Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner. I’m going to side with the Phillies on opening day and will lay the RL to shave down the juice.