Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction

The Miami Marlins (8-10) will kick off their three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies (11-8) for an exciting MLB betting opportunity on Friday, April 18 at 6:45 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies are moderately favored to win with a moneyline at -210 at MyBookie.

Miami Marlins Betting Preview

The Marlins are coming off a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but lost all three matchups. Their recent defeat was a 6-4 outing and their third game in a row where they allowed six or more runs.

During this three-game skid, they scored 3.33 runs a game while allowing 7.33 from opponents. This differential obviously cannot continue to happen if they’re any to succeed, but in the short term it is concerning.

Miami has shown promise at the plate with a batting average at .251, but they are allowing their opponents to get .244 in return. This shows they need to make some adjustments on defense to slow down opposing teams.

The Marlins have a good .324 on base percentage and .372 slugging percentage to stay within reach of the Phillies. Their ERA as a whole is at 4.53, which might be slightly worse with Sandy Alcantara (2-0) (4.70 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) on the mound at the start.

Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview

The Phillies have gone 2-3 over their previous five matchups and are coming off a solid four-game series against the San Francisco Giants, where they won two out of four. In the finale of the series, the Phillies won 6-4.

Overall in that series, the Phillies scored 5.00 runs per matchup and allowed the Giants to get 7.25 runs in return. While their offense has been appealing, their defense has been questionable at times.

Philadelphia has been averaging .239 at the plate, but giving up .256 in return to opposing teams. They will need to do a better job on the mound and defensively overall to get this average lower.

The Phillies have a slightly better on base and slugging percentages at .329 and .382, respectively, over the Marlins. Their ERA is also slightly better at 4.16 and they will have Zack Wheeler (1-1) (4.07 ERA, 10.7 WHIP) starting on the mound to give them an edge.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

MyBookie showcases the most appealing Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies betting odds, with the Phillies favored to succeed. Market predictions insist the Phillies have a 66.8 percent chance of winning this battle.

Despite allowing a lot of runs, the Phillies were able to split that series with the Giants with great offensive power. As for the Marlins, they too had good offense at times but consistently fell short on the defensive end. The Phillies are appealing here but the moneyline is a bit high so consider the run line where they win by at least two runs.

Final Pick: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+100)