Friday MLB Betting Odds, Picks, Predictions for Phillies vs. Marlins: How to Bet This NL East Showdown
Michael Reaves/Getty Images. Pictured (left to right): Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Rhys Hoskins.
- MLB action continues on Friday when the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins go to battle.
- Pablo Lopez has pitched lights-out for Miami, but the Philadelphia lineup looks a bit different this season after some key free agent signings.
- Nick Shlain breaks down this game and shares his top betting pick below.
Phillies vs. Marlins Odds
| Phillies Odds | +108 |
| Marlins Odds | -126 |
| Over/Under | 7.5 |
| Time | 6:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | MLB.TV |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here. | |
The Philadelphia Phillies went out and signed Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos this offseason, but the offense hasn't totally clicked yet as they find themselves 14th in runs scored so far this season.
The Miami Marlins signed World Series MVP Jorge Soler this offense but find themselves 29th in the league in runs scored.
These two teams will begin a series in Miami Friday with Pablo Lopez (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO in first start), on the mound for the Marlins and Zach Eflin (4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) starting for the Phillies.
Can Phillies Count on Eflin?
Eflin is looking to build on last season. He posted an ERA of 4.17, but his xERA sat at 3.84 and his FIP came in at 3.68 in 105 innings over 18 starts. However, he also dealt with injuries.
It's a big year for the Phillies after they loaded up in free agency, and Eflin is going to be counted on for more starts and innings this year.
A Marlins offense that is struggling to score runs to start the season won't be one of the tougher tests he has this season.
Lopez Looks to Continue Rolling for Miami
Lopez is coming off of a great pitching year last season when he had a 3.07 ERA. However, he was shut down for the year with a shoulder injury after 102 innings over 20 starts.
His shoulder held up just fine in his first start of the year and the performance was solid, but the question of whether or not he can make it through a full season remains. Lopez has never started more than 21 games in a season in the majors.
There's also the question of Lopez's ability against the Phillies' lineup.
Lopez gets a lot of strikeouts and ground balls, which is great. But if he has a weakness, it may be against left-handed batters. Against lefties last year, Lopez had only a 21% strikeout percentage compared to 33% against right-handed batters.
That could be a problem with Schwarber (.291 ISO against right-handed pitching last year) and Bryce Harper (.386 ISO against right-handed pitching last year) in the lineup.
Phillies vs. Marlins Betting Pick
I've got to go with the Phillies here. Philadelphia might be a team going places this year, and the Marlins… well, they aren't going anywhere.
It's interesting that Miami is a slight favorite to begin with here. The Marlins are at home and have the better starting pitcher, but teams still have to score some runs to win.
I like the Phillies moneyline up to -110.
Pick: Phillies ML -105
How would you rate this article?
Follow Us On Social
