Phillies-Padres prediction, odds, pick, how to watch

The Philadelphia Phillies are on the road to take on the San Diego Padres for the start of a three game series. This game will continue our MLB odds series as we hand out a Phillies-Padres prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.

As it stands right now, the Phillies hold the top wild card spot for the National League. This means they would get to host the wild card series, which is a big deal. They have a 2.5 game lead over the Chicago Cubs for that spot, so nothing is set in stone yet. However, the Phillies have won six of their last 10, but they did lose the weekend series against the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers. Philadelphia does not have time to go cold in September as the NL wild card race is heating up. There is a four-way tie for third place, and all those teams trail the Phillies by just 5.5 games.

The Padres are keeping their hopes up, but there is little chance for them to make the playoffs. San Diego is 5.5 games back in the wild card, and they have won just four of their last 10 games. At 65-73, the Padres have been given a 1.9 percent chance to make the playoffs by ESPN. San Diego did take three of four from the San Francisco Giants over the weekend, though. If San Diego can catch fire in September, there is a chance. They have the roster talent to do it, but it does seem as if it is going to be a little bit too late for them.

The starting pitchers for this game will be Taijuan Walker and Rich Hill.

Here are the Phillies-Padres MLB odds,

MLB Odds: Phillies-Padres Odds

Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+162)

San Diego Padres: +1.5 (-196)

Over: 9 (-112)

Under: 9 (-108)

How To Watch Phillies vs. Padres

For the inside story on the 24 people banned from MLB, listen below:

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Bally Sports San Diego

Stream: MLB TV subscription

Time: 6:40 PM ET/3:40 PM PT

*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread

Taijuan Walker's numbers are really just average, but he is 14-5 on the season. The Phillies are 19-7 total when Walker pitches. This means that he puts them in a very good position to win every time he takes the mound. Walker has given up more than four runs just two times in his 26 starts, so that helps a lot with putting the Phillies in good positions to win. In fact, Walker has allowed three runs or less in 19 of his 26 starts. That kind of start in this game will help the Phillies cover the spread with ease.

Walker already has a start against the Padres this season. In that start, Walker went five innings, allowed just one earned run on three hits, and struck out three. The Padres went on to win that game 9-4. Walker does a pretty good job keeping opponents off the barrel, even though he does not strike out many batters. If he can throw five or six strong innings in this ones, as he did the first time around, the Phillies will cover the spread.

Why The Padres Could Cover The Spread

The Padres hand the ball to Rich Hill, and he is always hit or miss. However, before he got traded, the veteran pitcher did have a start against the Phillies. In fact, that was his last game on the Pittsburgh Pirates. In that start, Hill threw five innings, allowed five hits, two runs, and struck out seven. The Pirates did end up winning that game, and it was one of Hill's better performances. If Hill can have another game like that, the Padres will cover the spread. The only problem is length. Hill does not get stretched out very often. His longest outing with the Padres is just five innings. If he can make that five strong innings, the Padres should be in good position.

Final Phillies-Padres Prediction & Pick

It is very hard to trust Rich Hill in this spot. He could go five or six innings and give up just a few runs, but he also could put the Padres in a pretty bad spot on the mound. With San Diego, he has an ERA over 8.00, and his WHIP is 1.61. Walker does not perform much better on the road, but that is why I will be taking the over. Both pitchers are in positions in which they could easily give up four or five runs. With that said, I will pick the Phillies to win. I think their offense will prevail if the game does become a slugfest.

Final Phillies-Padres Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+162), Over 9 (-112)