Phillies vs. Rangers prediction and odds for Sunday, April 2 (Back OVER on Sunday Night Baseball)

It's been a slow start for the Phillies, who were hoping to ride the momentum of a 2022 World Series berth early on.

The Phillies allowed nine runs in the fourth to the Texas Rangers on Opening Day, resulting in an 11-7 loss and then couldn't shut down Texas at all on Saturday, lsoing 16-3. Now, the team will send out promising lefty Bailey Falter to try and put a lid on the Rangers, can he hold up?

Texas has had success against southpaws dating back to last season, but so have the Phillies, who will face left hander Martin Perez on Sunday night.

Here are the odds for the series finale:

Phillies vs. Rangers odds, run line and total

Phillies vs. Rangers prediction and pick

Both teams dominated lefty pitching last season, each inside the top five in wRC+ against those types of pitchers, and I believe each lineup should be in good shape on Sunday night.

While Perez is off one of the best seasons of his career, limiting home runs and working out of jams at an elite level, he may be in for regression this season after allowing a career low stranded rate (77%) and home run rate (less than one per nine innings). The Phillies have one of the best lineups in baseball and can hand Perez a rough start in his first outing of the season.

Even if the Rangers starter struggles, the lineup is clearly off to a good start, putting up double digit run totals in the first two games of the season. The team has thrived against lefty pitching and will also face a vulnerable Phillies pen that will be taxed already given the shaky start through two games.

I'm going to stick with what's working on Sunday Night Baseball and bank on both of these lineups to tee off against the other team with favorable matchups.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.