The Washington Nationals (24-32) welcome the Philadelphia Phillies (25-31) to Nationals Park Friday for the opener of a 3-game set. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Phillies vs. Nationals odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Season series: First meeting of 2023; Philadelphia won 16 of 19 meetings in 2022
The Phillies are riding a 4-game losing skid, dropping all 3 games on the road to the New York Mets to start the week, including a 4-2 loss in the finale Thursday. Philadelphia scored just 3 runs in the series with New York and is just 5-12 over its last 17 games.
The Nationals are returning home off a 3-3 road trip, winning 2 of 3 at the Kansas City Royals last weekend and 1 of 3 at the Los Angeles Dodgers to start the week — including a 10-6 victory Wednesday. Washington is 6-5 over its last 11 games and is last in the NL East, 9 games back of the division-leading Atlanta Braves and 1 game behind the Phillies.