The Phillies are favored at -144 over the Astros, who are +121 on the money line. This interleague matchup is taking place at 6:40 PM ET from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and the forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures near 90 degrees.
Justin Verlander will start for the Astros, and they are facing the Phillies, who are 77-54 and have won three straight. Aaron Nola is the Phillies’ starter. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the Astros are leading the AL West.
Verlander Takes the Mound as Astros Aim to Extend AL West Lead
Justin Verlander will be on the mound for the Astros today, and he is 3-3 with a 3.92 ERA this season. The Astros are 70-61 overall and lead the AL West by 3.5 games over the Mariners. Houston is 21-18 in divisional games this year and 18-18 as the underdog. Overall, they are 52-43 as the favorite. The Astros are 23-17-2 in series this year and are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
Offensively, the Astros are 12th in scoring at 4.6 runs per game and have the 3rd best batting average in the league at .260. Yordan Alvarez is hitting .305 with 25 home runs this season. On the other side, the Phillies have a 67-64 record vs. the run line this year. The over/under line for the Astros has been set at 8.5 runs for 42 road games, and they have gone 16-26 in those games. The average combined run total in those games is 8.6 runs per game.
Phillies Poised for Victory Against Astros with Nola on the Mound
The Phillies are 77-54 overall, and they have a six-game lead over the Braves in the NL East. They are 20-14 in divisional games and 43-23 at home. As the favorite, the Phillies are 65-40 overall and 42-21 at home. Their run line record is 64-67, and they are 31-35 at home. Their average run margin is +0.9.
Today, the Phillies are facing the Astros, and the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. The Phillies have played 40 games this season with over/under lines set higher than 8.5 runs, which is 30.5% of their games. Aaron Nola is getting the start for the Phillies, and he is 11-6 this year with a 3.45 ERA. Nola has 16 quality starts this year, and his WHIP is 1.18. Offensively, the Phillies are 5th in runs per game, and they are 2nd in runs per game at home with 5.3.
Astros vs. Phillies: Verlander Dominates as Astros Edge Phillies 5-4
Our predicted score for this Astros and Phillies matchup is 5-4 in favor of the Astros. Given the payout, we would recommend taking the Astros on the money line, where they are currently at +121.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Justin Verlander finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for seventh among all starters. As for Aaron Nola, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, which is 20th among starters.
Offensively, we have the Astros finishing with nine hits, which is good for eighth in the league. As for the Phillies, they are projected to finish with eight hits, which is the sixth worst in the league.
