In the last Phillies Betting Preview, I called for the Phillies to win while the Diamondbacks Merrill Kelly to strikeout more than 5.5 Phillies. Never making it easy, the Phils blew a 3-0 lead in the 8th but won in 10, 4-3. Kelly fanned seven in his six innings of work and we had a profit of 4.5 units.
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Phillies (-135) vs Athletics (+125) O/U 8.5
The Phillies (35-34) head off to Oakland to face the A’s (19-52) for a 3-game weekend set. The first pitch is scheduled for 9:40.
The Philadelphia Phillies hand the ball to RHP Taijuan Walker to lead them in the upcoming series against the Oakland Athletics. Walker, with a 6-3 record in 14 starts this season and an ERA of 4.67, has been a reliable presence on the mound. On the road, his performance has been more inconsistent, with a 3-3 record in eight starts and an elevated ERA of 6.75.
Recently, the Phillies have been on fire, reminiscent of their dominant playoff run last year. They finished a successful 5-1 homestand and carried that momentum to win two out of three games against the NL West-leading Diamondbacks. Over their last 11 games, they boast a 9-2 record, hitting .288 as a team and averaging 6.1 runs per game.
The Phillies’ batters have been instrumental, accumulating 43 extra-base hits, including 15 home runs and 64 RBIs. However, they still struggle with leaving an average of 7.7 men on base per game. Nonetheless, the Phillies are a force to be reckoned with and have the potential to challenge any opponent.
LHP JP Sears will be the starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. Sears has a 1-3 record in his 13 starts this season, including four quality starts. He has showcased good command on the mound, with a strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) rate of 8.4 and a low walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) of 1.11. His earned run average (ERA) stands at 4.15, which is considered respectable in baseball.
When Sears pitches at the friendly confines of his home stadium, his performance reaches another level. His ERA drops significantly to an outstanding 2.57, showcasing his mastery of the pitcher-friendly environment. Furthermore, his WHIP decreases to an impressive 1.07. Although Sears is yet to secure a win in his five home starts, three of those outings have been of top-notch quality. Notably, he has not allowed more than two earned runs in any of his last five starts, underscoring his consistency and ability to keep opposing offenses in check.
As the Philadelphia Phillies arrive in town, the Oakland Athletics find themselves in the midst of their most exceptional baseball of the season. Riding the wave of confidence, the Athletics have triumphed in an impressive seven consecutive games, marking their longest winning streak thus far. How insane is this streak? Oakland is the first MLB team in at least 20 years to win seven straight games as an underdog of +145 or higher. Additionally, if you put $100 on A’s money line on the first game of their streak (+230 at Pirates on June 6) and rolled over the total winnings on their money lines in each of their next six contests as well, you’d currently be sitting on $151,634.29
This remarkable achievement began with back-to-back victories against the Tampa Bay Rays, widely regarded as the best team in Major League Baseball. However, the Rays managed to halt the Athletics’ streak with a 6-3 victory on Wednesday and then again on Thursday.
The Wager
The A’s streak, while impressive, is over. The Phillies continue to own the month of June, and I believe they continue their torrid hitting on their way to another win. I’m going to make two plays for tonight’s contest. First, I’m going to put 3-units on the Phillies to win straight up at -130. I’m also going to put 4-units on them, scoring more than 4.5 runs. On BetMGM, the odds are +100, or even money.
Bets and Season Record
Pick:Â Phillies -130 3-UNITS
Pick:Â Phillies Team Total OVER 4.5 +100 4-units
Season Record:
Up 19.5 units (+$1950)
