It’s the time of year in the baseball season where we start to turn our attention towards the Wild Card race in both leagues. While there are still some division races that are tight and ready to go down to the wire, there are others that look to be as good as over. The teams in the chasing pack in those divisions are now surely turning their attention to the Wild Card race, which should make for a very exciting finish. While both leagues look good right now, it is the National League that looks set to provide the most playoff race drama.
The Brewers are clinging to the final spot, but there are 5 teams all within 3 games of them, so absolutely zero margin for error. The Phillies and Giants are both in that cluster of teams, with the Giants being the farthest off the pace. This is their chance to close that gap and put some real pressure on the teams ahead of them. It is the Phillies who are favored by 1 ½ on the road on Friday night, though, with the run total set at 8 ½.
Phillies vs Giants MLB Lines & Expert Analysis
- When: Friday, August 9 at 10:15 PM EST
- Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco
- Starting Pitchers: Smyly vs. Beede
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- MLB Lines: Philadelphia Phillies -120 (Total 8.5)
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Weather Forecast
- Mostly Sunny: 20°C/68°F
- Humidity: 72%
- Precipitation: 6%
- Cloud Cover: 20%
- Wind: 14 mph W
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Philadelphia Phillies?
The Philadelphia Phillies have delivered an incredibly frustrating season for their fans, but even at this late stage of things, they are still just a ½ game out of the final Wild Card spot in the NL. They are doing very little to help themselves right now, though, as they have lost 3 in a row and are just 4-6 in their last 10 games. That’s not the type of form that a team looking at the playoffs needs.One of those losses came on Thursday night, with the Phillies blanked 5-0 by the Giants, which means that Philly has now scored just 5 runs in their last 3 games. The season series is now tied 2-2, with the final 3 outings in this one sure to have an impact on the Wild Card race. It will be Drew Smyly (1-1, 3.00 ERA) getting the start for Philly.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.75
- Hits: 8.46
- Walks: 3.61
- Strike Outs: 8.79
Defense
- Runs: 4.97
- Hits: 9.10
- Walks: 3.39
- Strike Outs: 8.61
Why bet on the San Francisco Giants?
The Giants made a really nice run towards the end of the first half of the season, pulling themselves into a playoff race that looked well out of reach for them. The problem that they have now is that they have gone off the boil, winning just 3 of their last 10 games, which leaves them sitting 3 games off the pace in the NL Wild Card race, with a lot of teams sitting ahead of them.The 5-0 win over the Phillies on Thursday night might just be the boost they need to get back into a positive run of form. They are just 26-31 SU in their own ballpark, though, and are 20-23 ATS as a home dog. They will have Tyler Beede (3-6, 5.38 ERA) starting this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.24
- Hits: 8.13
- Walks: 3.00
- Strike Outs: 8.73
Defense
- Runs: 4.80
- Hits: 8.79
- Walks: 3.11
- Strike Outs: 8.57
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Phillies vs Giants MLB Betting Trends
- Phillies are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games against San Francisco
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia’s last 9 games on the road
- Giants are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Francisco’s last 8 games against Philadelphia
- Phillies are 35-42 against the money line in night games this season
- Giants are 57-59 against the money line in all games this season
- Smyly is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.714
- Beede is 0-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 2.400
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Phillies vs Giants
This series has been tight all season long, so I think we can expect more of the same over the weekend. I like the Phillies to bounce back and get the win, covering the spread in the process.Score: Philadelphia Phillies 5 – San Francisco Giants 2
