It is game one of a doubleheader as the Philadelphia Phillies face off with the Chicago White Sox in interleague play. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with a Phillies-White Sox prediction, pick, and how-to watch.
Due to high winds and cold temperatures, the Phillies and White Sox game was postponed on Monday. They will play a doubleheader today, with the first game starting at 3:10 PM local time. Game two will then start approximately 30-45 minutes after game one, but not before 6:10 PM local time. An extra day of rest may be good for the two teams, as both teams were faltering going into this match-up and need to find a way to turn around the early season woes. Over the weekend the Phillies won two of four over the Reds, while the White Sox dropped two of three to the Orioles. Today, someone could come out with two much-needed wins.
Here are the Phillies-White Sox MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Phillies-White Sox Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+140)
Chicago White Sox: +1.5 (-170)
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-110)
How To Watch Phillies vs. White Sox
TV: NBCSP/NBCSCH
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 4:10 PM ET/ 6:10 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
The Phillies are one day closer to the return of Bryce Harper, and his infusion of power into the lineup. Currently, the Phillies lead baseball with a .293 batting average and are fourth in baseball with a .348 on-base percentage. While getting on base with a good clip, the Phillies are not scoring as much as they should. They are 11th in runs this year at 75. Philadelphia is one of the worst teams at leaving runners in scoring positions, leaving 4.25 runners in scoring positions per game.
It has been a lack of consistency for them this year in driving in runs. Of their 75 runs, 37 of them come in a combined three games. That means 49.3% of their runs have come in 18.8% of their games. They have been shut out once, and have five others games with two or fewer runs. In their 14-run output against the Reds, they went 11-27 with RISP, but the game prior, they went 0-6.
The Phillies’ recent run explosion was led by Alex Bohm, who went 2-4 with runners in scoring position, while going 3-6 overall, driving in a run and scoring twice. He currently has a .426 on-base percentage and 14 RBIs so far this year. Brandon Marsh also was a major player, going 2-2 in the game with runners in scoring position, and driving in his tenth RBI of the year. He currently hitting .378 on the year, and had an OBP of .440.
Zach Wheeler will get his fourth start of the campaign today. He is currently 0-1 in his three starts with a 4.02 ERA. He has only pitched 15 2/3 innings on the year, striking out 18 in that time frame, but also giving up a 1.40 WHIP, which is one of the worst rates of his career. Wheeler has given up 15 hits so far on the year and needs to miss a few more bats to beat the White Sox today.
Why The White Sox Could Cover The Spread
In 2022 injuries plagued the White Sox, and it has continued this year. Tim Anderson is currently out with an injury, while Joe Kelly is also on the IL, and six other guys are considered day-to-day. The White Sox are also struggling to score on the season, and hitting just .261 as a team. They are currently losers of four of the last five games, but in the last two, they have scored 11 runs. That equals the amount they scored in the five games prior combined. Luis Robert Jr. currently leads the team with 11 RBIs and five home runs, plus four doubles on the year. Adding to the RBIs and extra-base hits has been Andrew Vaughn, who has ten RBIs and seven doubles on the year.
While the White Sox are struggling to score at times, it is the bullpen that is letting them down. They are currently the worst in the league with a 7.57 ERA. They also have the worst WHIP in the league at 1.99. The White Sox have already dispatched Jose Ruiz and his ERA which is over 20, sending him to the Diamondbacks. While position players pitching can be fun, Shortstop Hanser Alberto is not helping the numbers, with 1.2 innings of pitching work, he has an ERA of 21.60. Jake Diekmann and the injured Joe Kelly both have ERAs over 10, and relief pitchers have five of their losses this year.
Today, the White Sox will need Lance Lynn to go deep. Not only do they want to avoid the bullpen, but they also need him to eat innings with another game under an hour after. He does not have a win on the season, but in his last outing, he went six innings, giving up three runs and having ten strikeouts. Still, he gave up two home runs, which is a theme for him this year. In the start prior against San Francisco, he gave up three home runs and eight runs overall in just 4 1/3 innings of work.
Final Phillies-White Sox Prediction & Pick
Playing two games back-to-back can be tough. With both teams struggling at times to score, but also both teams having huge games, it is hard to predict what will show up. Homerunes may be in play today. There are expected 10+ mile per hour winds this afternoon, heading straight out to the center. Lance Lynn has given up six home runs in 16 innings of work so far this year. If he cannot limit the long ball today, the Phillies will take advantage. The Phillies have power bats, led by Schwarber and the long ball will be in play for game one. That is what will be seen today, as the Phillies hit a few home runs and get the win.
Final Phillies-White Sox Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+140)
The post MLB Odds: Phillies vs. White Sox Game 1 prediction, pick, how to watch – 4/18/2023 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
