The Philadelphia Phillies continue to stumble as they’ve lost their last six games. The Phils have also lost eight of their last 10, and their large NL East divisional lead has quickly evaporated.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners had a busy trade deadline and that seems to have lit a spark under the ball club. They are currently one game ahead in the AL West standings and can sweep one of the best teams in baseball on Sunday afternoon.
We've got a terrific pitching matchup, as it'll be Zack Wheeler vs. Logan Gilbert. Look at a side-by-side comparison of their numbers in the chart below.
Oddsmakers have the Phillies as -135 favorites on the money line and the total set at 7.
My Phillies vs. Mariners prediction is below.
Sunday, Aug. 4
4:10 p.m. ET
NBCS-PH
Phillies Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +152 |
7 -105o / -115u |
-116 |
Mariners Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -184 |
7 -105o / -115u |
-102 |
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here.
RHP Zack Wheeler (PHI) | Stat | RHP Logan Gilbert (SEA) |
---|---|---|
10-5 | W-L | 6-7 |
2.9 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 2.9 |
2.94/3.08 | ERA /xERA | 3.11/3.22 |
3.52/3.54 | FIP / xFIP | 3.33/3.39 |
1.02 | WHIP | 0.90 |
19.2% | K-BB% | 20.3% |
41.9% | GB% | 44.5% |
106 | Stuff+ | 107 |
104 | Location+ | 101 |
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The Phillies need to turn things around quickly, otherwise this is going to go to waste. They’ve dealt with a lot of injuries over the last couple of months, but they're starting to feel the heat in the standings.
The key for Sunday afternoon’s game, Lies on the shoulder of starting pitcher Wheeler. Wheeler was roughed up on Monday night against the Yankees, coughing up seven earned runs.
Since the Phils' are facing Gilbert, Wheeler needs to be even sharper than his usual self.
It is tough to trust the Phillies lineup right now, especially without Bryce Harper. They've been inconsistent as of late, so they need him back to right the ship offensively.
The Phillies are 11-for-82 lifetime against Gilbert, with a poor .212 batting average. I have a feeling they'll have a tough time scoring runs on Sunday.
The Mariners' offense has been amongst the worst in baseball, but yet they have claimed a one-game lead in the AL-West. The offense needed some upgrades, and they did a great job addressing those issues at the deadline.
They have an opportunity to sweep on Sunday, but have a tall task against Wheeler. Regardless of his most recent start, Wheeler is a perennial Cy Young candidate.
Gilbert was torched on Monday against the Red Sox, allowing 7 runs and 7 hits without escaping the 3rd inning. It was an uncharacteristically bad start, so I expect him to bounce back here.
The Mariners have struggled against Wheeler in the past, batting .197 over 72 plate appearances. Just like the Phils', I expect both offenses to be frustrated at the plate through the early portion of the game.
I expect Wheeler and Gilbert to bounce back from rough outings on Monday. The market seems to be overreacting to their starts on Monday, so the F5 under is one of my favorite plays on the board on Sunday.
Both offenses have struggled against the opposition on the mound, so it's a terrific buy-low opportunity for both starting pitchers. I'll happily fade the public and back the excellent pitching metrics.
Pick: Under 4 F5 -120 via FanDuel
BET: Seattle Mariners +105
The Mariners are playing great baseball right now, and it appears the public perception is that the Phillies will snap their six-game losing streak. A lot of sharp money has flooded in on Seattle, and its offense has been much better since the deadline. If you're looking to take a side here, I'd lean Seattle.
PASS
I don't see value in either of these numbers, especially with a total set at 7. Seattle +1.5 at -161 is far too juiced, and I think you're asking too much from the Phillies offense to cover -1.5 here. No play from me here.
BET: Under 7 -105
Just as I mentioned in the official betting pick, I think both starting pitchers are going to duel this afternoon. I am more comfortable with the F5 Under, but I think Under 7 at reduced juice is a wise play at well. Besides, only 2% of the bets are on the Under as of Sunday morning, so I'll happily go up against the public.
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