The Philadelphia Phillies (74-53) host the Washington Nationals (52-75) on August 22, 2025. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT; the game will be broadcast on NBCS-PH.
Find my MLB betting preview and Nationals vs Phillies prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, betting trends, injury reports and more.
Our Nationals vs Phillies Prediction
- Nationals vs Phillies pick: Nationals ML
Our Nationals vs Phillies best bet is on the Nationals moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Nationals vs Phillies Odds
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -144 | 9.5 -101o / -118u | +140 |
| Phillies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +121 | 9.5 -101o / -118u | -176 |
Nationals vs Phillies Projected Starting Pitchers
| RHP Cade Cavalli (WSN) | Stat | RHP Taijuan Walker (PHI) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-0 | W-L | 4-6 |
| 0.5 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.6 |
| 2.20/3.48 | ERA /xERA | 3.34/4.11 |
| 2.93/3.53 | FIP / xFIP | 4.73/4.45 |
| 1.29 | WHIP | 1.29 |
| 14.5% | K-BB% | 9.4% |
| 52.9% | GB% | 46.4% |
| 109 | Stuff+ | 91 |
| 93 | Location+ | 100 |
Nationals vs Phillies Betting Analysis, Prediction
The Philadelphia Phillies (-176 in the moneyline) open a home series against the Washington Nationals (+140) on Friday, with the total set at 9.5 runs.
This is Game 1 of a four-game set between NL East rivals who just met last week in Washington, where the series finished 2–2. The Nationals won Games 1 (3–2) and 3 (2–0), while the Phillies took Game 2 (6–2) and the finale (11–9).
Cade Cavalli starts for Washington after his best outing in the Majors, seven scoreless innings in a win over these same Phillies. Taijuan Walker goes for Philadelphia and has been tough on the Nationals with a 2.19 ERA in two starts against them this season.
This matchup also fits Evan Abrams’ “Low Support Division Dog” system, which identifies divisional underdogs that attract less than 30% of moneyline bets but avoid any negative line movement.
In these cases, sharp money is often holding the number, especially in division games where familiarity narrows the gap between favorite and underdog.
The Nationals check all those boxes, and with Cavalli riding momentum, they offer real value in the series opener.
Pick: Nationals ML (+135, Fanatics)
Nationals vs Phillies Betting Trends
