Phillies-Guardians Predictions, Prospects, Picks, How To Watch
More Interleave action continues at the start of the weekend as the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Guardians go head to head for the diamond this evening. Let’s Check Out Our MLB Odds series Where our Phillies-Guardians will be predicted and selected.
Fresh off their impressive World Series performance a year ago, the Phillies have compiled a solid 52-44 record through the first 96 games of the 2023 regular season, which is good enough for second place in an ultra-competitive NL East division. Despite two consecutive losses to the Milwaukee Brewers, the ‘Phils have won four of their last six games and are one game ahead of the last spot in the NL Wild Card. Getting the nod on the mound will be lefty Ranger Suarez, who is 2-4 with a fairly productive 3.84 ERA in his 12 games on the season.
Turning to the Guardians, it’s Cleveland who finds themselves two games below the .500 mark and will need to kick things into high gear if they want to sniff out postseason play in 2023. Fortunately, the Guardians are competing in an AL Central division that is pretty mediocre as Cleveland is only two games behind the first place Twins. Overall, the Guardians have won two of three after losing four in a row and will now turn to the young 23-year-old flame-thrower in Gavin Williams, who is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA.
here are the phillies-parents mlb prospects, Courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-Guardians Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+136)
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-164)
Overs: 8.5 (-102)
Under: 8.5 (-120)
How To Watch Phillies vs. The Guardians
TV: Bali Sports Great Lakes
Stream: mlb.tv
Time: 7:10 ET/4:10 PT
*Watch MLB games live with fuboTV (Click for a free trial)*
Why could the Phillies cover the spread?
After suffering a gruesome Tommy John injury, Bryce Harper has slowly returned to full force as Philadelphia’s designated hitter. However, whether it’s tonight or sometime this weekend, Harper could also take over at first base as the Phillies have spent the entire season looking for a replacement for Rhys Hoskins after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in spring training. At first glance, Harper’s power numbers are definitely down from his habit, as the 30-year-old has only hit four home runs in 63 games played.
Still, even though it would be nice for the Phillies to see Bryce Harper return to his old form, the Phillies will need to rely on the rest of their attack to get out early against a rookie pitcher who could pitch in the opening frames of this one. In fact, Williams is coming off a four-walk outing against the Rangers, so it wouldn’t be the weirdest thing in the world if he struggled with his command again.
Above all else, be on the lookout for second baseman Bryson Stott to continue his stellar campaign. After hitting a modest .234 in 2022, Stott has taken his game to the next level with a team-high .305 average in 90 games played. Regrettably, Stott could be the X-factor the Phillies desperately need to cover the spread in this one.
Why was The Guardian able to cover up this spread?
On the other hand, every single game from here is extremely important to Cleveland’s playoff chances in such a competitive division race. If there’s one thing the Guardians excel at despite having two games under .500, it’s the fact that they know how to put out a record when they need it most. Believe it or not, Cleveland has limited opposing batters to a 3.88 ERA, which is the eighth best mark in the league. More than that, he has also contributed 35 quality starts. Despite Gavin Williams being an unproven rookie up to this point, he certainly has a promising arsenal that could help him get the job done against a talented Phillies offense.
Furthermore, if first-baseman Josh Naylor becomes eligible to play, Cleveland’s chances of covering the spread will increase exponentially. At this point, Naylor is one of baseball’s best hitters during the month of July as he slugs a .388 batting average in 13 games to go along with five homers and 17 RBIs. However, Naylor has been battling a sore right wrist, so it will be important for bookmakers planning to bet on the Guardians to keep an eye on his condition closer to the first pitch.
Ultimate Phillies-Parent Predictions and Selections
At first glance, both teams enter the game fresh off losses, but the Phillies have been the better team to this point in the season. That being said, spend a few dollars on the -1.5 Phillies spread as they should bounce back from their most recent shutout loss against the Brewers.
Final Phillies-Parents Predictions & Selections: Phillies -1.5 (+136)
