A pitching battle shapes up Monday as the Philadelphia Phillies host Washington.
The Phillies will turn to Cole Hamels, who is much better than his 6-13 record, as they look for a win in this one, while the Nationals send Stephen Strasburg (6-9) to the hill. Ditto for Strasburg in terms of struggling to earn wins in 2013.
The Phillies are 13-3 in Hamel's past 16 starts against Washington. Strasburg has already dominated the Phils twice in 2013 and goes for a third beating. The Nats are 4-1 in his five career starts against Philly.
View Washington vs Philadelphia Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The Nationals were listed as -104 underdogs on the baseball moneyline at many online sportsbooks, including Sportsbook. The total was set at 6.5 before betting started earlier on Monday over at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings:
The Odds Shark MLB Power Rankings have the Phillies at No. 14 in the National League and the Nationals at No. 8 in the National League heading into this contest.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Philadelphia's No. 14-rated National League offense, averaging 3.8 runs per game, against a Nationals defense that ranks No. 7 in the National League at 4.1 in runs allowed per game. The Phillies have averaged 8.3 hits per game so far, less than Nationals batters have averaged on the year (8.4 hits per game).
Philadelphia owns the National League's No. 15 defense, allowing 4.6 men per game to cross the plate. That contrasts with Washington's National League No. 7-rated defense.
Washington won its last outing, a 6-5 result against the Mets on September 1. Bettors who backed the Nationals at -142 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (11) sent OVER bettors to the payout window. The Nationals grabbed a win last time out, defeating Jonathon Niese and the Mets 6-5 on Sunday at Nationals Park.
In their last action, Philadelphia was a 7-1 loser on the road against the Cubs. Bettors on Chicago at -127 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (8) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well. The Phillies endured a 7-1 loss at the hands of the Cubs on Sunday, with Kyle Kendrick throwing 6 innings of 8-hit ball at Wrigley Field.
Washington Nationals Trends:
When playing on Monday are 7-3
Before playing Philadelphia are 4-6
After playing NY Mets are 6-4
After a win are 6-4
Philadelphia Phillies Trends:
When playing on Monday are 3-7
Before playing Washington are 6-4
After playing Chi Cubs are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4
A few Nationals at Phillies trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Washington
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington
Next up:
Washington at Philadelphia, Tuesday, September 3
