Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 05/01/25

In this game, we will see the Washington Nationals take on the Philadelphia Phillies for the 6^th game this year. So far, the Phillies are 5-1. They lost the 3^rd game of the previous series against the Nationals. The Nationals are hoping for a similar result today as they are on a 3-game losing streak. On the other side, the Phillies are on a 4-game winning streak. Jumping into today, on the mound we will see Brad Lord of the Nationals and Taijuan Walker of the Phillies. Lord is a relief pitcher that has recently been used as a starter. In his 3 starts, he has pitched 12.1 innings giving up 8 runs on 16 hits. His current record sits as 0-3 with the Nationals losing all 3 games by more than 1 run. Walker on the other hand, has pitched great in 3 of his 5 starts. In his most recent start, he was pulled early after giving up 6 hits and 2 runs against the Chicago Cubs. Walker is hoping that he can get back to his impressive ways in this one.

The batting statistics on the year for these sides have been very similar. The Nationals have a batting average of .240 with 131 runs on 254 hits while the Phillies have a .251 batting average with 131 runs on 264 hits. Given the similarities in hitting, it forces us to put more emphasis on the pitching battle. The Nationals currently have the worst bullpen in the MLB when looking at the statistics of ERA, WHIP, and earned runs. This is very concerning considering the fact that Lord is a relief pitcher that has pitched a total of 12.1 innings in 3 starts. Lord also pitched 1 inning against the Phillies this year where he gave up 1 hit and 2 walks before being pulled after 3 batters. Given the questionable pitching of the Nationals, the bounce-back spot for Walker, and the momentum the Phillies bring into the game, I am rolling with the Phillies to cover the run line.

Nationals vs. Phillies Prediction: Phillies -1.5 (+115) available at the time of publishing. Playable at that number.