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Free MLB Pick: Phillies vs. Padres Odds
Looking for Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Diego Padres Free MLB playoff predictions? MLB betting sees the Phillies taking on the Padres on Tuesday, October 18th, 2022 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all MLB baseball playoff matchups so stay tuned for more FREE daily MLB predictions like this Phillies Padres free National League Championship Series pick.
2022 MLB Playoff Handicapping
(0-0) Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Diego Padres (0-0)
Date: Tuesday, October 18th, 2022
Time: 8:03 PM ET
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, CA.
Projected Pitchers: Wheeler (PHI), Darvish (SD)
MLB Moneyline Odds: PHI +105, SD -125
MLB run line Betting Odds: PHI -205, SD +175
MLB Baseball Gambling Total: O/U: 6.5 (over -125)
Philadelphia Phillies
A month ago, the Phillies were free-falling out of the National League playoff race. Now they are on the verge of the World Series.
Philadelphia wound up getting in as the sixth and final playoff team and has been on fire ever since it overcome a two-run deficit in the ninth inning of its first game in the Wild Card Round against St. Louis.
The starting pitching has been great, the bullpen has done enough, and the defense has not let the team down yet.
But offensively, the Phillies have been superior to every other team in the NL this October.
Bryce Harper has led the way. He scuffled in the regular season after coming back from a broken hand but he’s back to himself in the playoffs.
He homered twice in the NLCS and hit .500 (8-for-16). And with all the offensive firepower Philly has on either side of him in the lineup, when he’s hitting like that, it becomes awfully tough to be an opposing pitcher.
Alec Bohm looks way more confident and Jean Segura quietly continues having winning at-bats at the bottom of the lineup.
The Phillies have some weaknesses that haven’t hurt them yet, however. Their outfield defense is poor and the bullpen suspect.
Both late-inning pitching and defense are more likely to become a problem in a seven-game series than a shorter one but both are influenced by a team’s overall confidence and the Phillies are not lacking in that.
San Diego Padres
Baseball may be an individual sports disguised as a team game but the leader of each team is still very important.
Opposing Harper is Manny Machado. Both guys came up as cross-town rivals with the Nationals and Orioles, respectively. Now they are dueling for the National League Championship.
Machado hit .357 (5-for-14) in the NLDS with a homer against the Dodgers. Of course, he has always been able to do it all on the field.
Where he has really impressed is as an emotional leader and veteran presence the more inexperienced Padres can look to.
Remember, Machado played in a World Series four years ago with the Dodgers and he’s in his 11th big league season.
Yu Darvish has made two postseason starts this year and won them both but this matchup with the red-hot Phillies may be his toughest yet. It will also be his first at home.
Fortunately for him, five or six innings should be enough. The Padres’ bullpen has been spectacular.
San Diego’s chance to get back to the World Series is contingent on that continuing and the offense doing enough to keep up with the Phils.
MLB Baseball Betting Trends:
- Over is 6-0-1 in Phillies last 7 vs. National League West.
- Head to Head: Phillies are 42-19 in the last 61 meetings in San Diego.
- Head to Head: Over is 22-9 in the last 31 meetings in San Diego.
- Head to Head: Under is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Diego Padres MLB Playoff Prediction:
Most people are seeming to find a little more to like with San Diego in this series and the Padres are favorites with the home field advantage.
But a hot offense is a seriously tough force to go up against in the playoffs. That’s what the Phillies have.
Darvish has been good but he may not even be good enough to slow this lineup down.
Meanwhile, Zack Wheeler has been as good as anyone. The Phillies’ bullpen is a concern but if Wheeler can give them seven, they should be able to piece together the final six outs.
4* Free MLB Playoffs Betting Pick: Philly +105
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