Phillies-Nationals prediction: Picks, odds on Sunday, August 20

The Philadelphia Phillies (67-56) and Washington Nationals (56-68) will wrap up their three-game weekend series in a special location tonight. These two NL East rivals will meet at historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for the sixth annual MLB Little League Classic. Zack Wheeler (9-5, 3.63 ERA) for the Phillies will go head-to-head with Trevor Williams (5-7, 5.20) for the Nats.

Starting in 2017, MLB’s Little League Classic is an annual event that takes place in the middle of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. The showcase allows the fans and players at the yearly summer tournament to both see and interact with big league players in this setting. The game usually features at least one team from within a five-hour radius of Williamsport as the Pirates, Phillies, Guardians, Orioles, and Mets have all played this game in the past.

As for the game itself, both teams are looking to take this series after splitting the first two games back in Washington, D.C. The Nats edged the Phils in an 8-7 victory on Friday before Philly clobbered its way to a 12-3 blowout yesterday. The Phillies are trying to maintain their cushion at the top of the NL Wild Card standings.

The Phillies enter the game as -230 favorites on the moneyline over at DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Nationals are +190 underdogs. The run total is set at 8.5.

Phillies-Nationals picks: Sunday, August 20

Injury report

Phillies

Out: OF Brandon Marsh (knee), SP Ranger Suarez (hamstring), RP Jose Alvarado (elbow/hand), OF Cristian Pache (elbow), 1B Rhys Hoskins (knee)

Nationals

Day-To-Day: SP MacKenzie Gore (nail), RP Sean Doolittle (knee)
Out: RP Mason Thompson (knee), RP Carl Edwards Jr. (shoulder), RP Thaddeus Ward (shoulder), RP Tanner Rainey (elbow), OF Victor Robles (back)

Starting pitchers

Zack Wheeler vs. Trevor Williams

Wheeler has been excellent for the Phillies, turning in seven straight quality starts heading into tonight’s matchup. He did his part in the team’s 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays this past Tuesday, yielding just one earned run off three hits through seven full innings of work. He has been dominant against right-handed hitters this season, holding them to a .199 batting average with a .539 OPS.

Williams is seeking his first win since July 2 and is trying to turn around his struggles this month. Through his two prior starts in August, he has yielded 11 earned runs off 14 hits through nine combined innings of work. He has struggled against Phillies sluggers in the past as Nick Castellanos, JT Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber are all respectively batting at least .300 against him through 12+ career at-bats.

Over/Under pick

Both lineups have been dialed in at the plate in the last week with both batting over .270 with roughly 30 runs apiece in that span. They should put on a show for the Little League World Series crowd in Williamsport, so take the over.

Pick: Over 8.5

Moneyline pick

The Phillies should take advantage of the pitching matchup in this one with a struggling starter like Williams taking the mound for the Nationals. Philly should pile up runs early in this contest and carry that through for the series victory here.