There’s no sugarcoating it, the Philadelphia Phillies are in a bad state. They’ve already lost this series to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have finally won their 40th game of the season, largely thanks to the Phillies’ ineptitude.
Everyone who’s bragged about and banked on the Phillies’ “easy schedule” is eating their words, and they don’t taste good.
The Phillies are 2-6 after their eight-game win streak. Can they avoid being swept on Thursday?
What Time is the Phillies Game Today?
First pitch today is scheduled for 3:40 PM Eastern.
What Channel is the Phillies Game on Today?
Today’s Phillies game is available on NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports Arizona & SoCal, and MLB.TV (blackout restrictions may apply).
Phillies vs Diamondbacks Odds Today
The Phillies are favored once again today, though that hasn’t stopped them from dropping the first two games of this series. They’re -185 on the moneyline (bet $185 to win $100), while the Diamondbacks are +170 (bet $100 to win $170).
The spread has Philadelphia -1.5 at -115 (bet $115 to win $100) and Arizona +1.5 at -105 (bet $105 to win $100).
If you’re into betting the total number of runs, the over/under today is 8.0. The over is -115 (bet $115 to win $100) and the under is -105 (bet $105 to win $100).
Phillies Pitcher Today: Zack Wheeler
Zack Wheeler is one of many Phillies players currently struggling, though he’s far from their biggest problem. He’ll be facing Madison Bumgarner, who isn’t the dominant pitcher he used to be.
Wheeler has a 2.56 ERA on the season, and is leading all MLB pitchers in complete games (3), shutouts (2), innings pitched (162.0), and strikeouts (187). His career-high strikeouts in a season is 195 in 2019, so look for him to tie or even surpass that in this start.
Since July 7, Wheeler has allowed three or more runs in five of seven starts, and has a 3.75 ERA over that span. Several of these games were against bad teams, too; the Cubs, Marlins, and Nationals. These are the kinds of teams the Phillies need Wheeler to dominate, and the DBacks are another one.
Madison Bumgarner is having a bounce-back season, but only insofar as that he had a 6.48 ERA in 2020, so anything lower than that is an improvement.
MadBum currently has a 4.30 ERA over 18 starts, but has only thrown 98 1/3 innings this year. The 13-year veteran has only struck out 88 batters over that span, and has issued 22 walks.
Interestingly, his hits per nine (8.3) and home runs per nine (1.3) are identical to his 2019 season, and his walks per nine is almost the same. But his strikeouts per nine is down from 8.8 in 2019 to 8.1.
Lately, however, Bumgarner has looked like his old self. Over six starts since the All-Star break, he has a 2.09 ERA over 38 2/3 innings. Opposing lineups are slashing .236/.263/.375 with a .638 OPS.
The way the Phillies’ bats have been lately, this isn’t good news.
Phillies Starting Lineup
Check back later for the Phillies starting lineup!
Phillies vs Diamondbacks Prediction Today
Every time I pick the Phillies lately, they lose. So I’m going the reverse psychology route and picking DBacks.
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Phillies vs Diamondbacks Live Stream
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