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Winning Streak? Phils Turn to Ace Cristopher Sanchez, Go for Series Win vs Nats
By Chris Wright
Published:
Last night was fun, right?
Kyle Schwarber went deep and Andrew Painter was as advertised — brilliant — so brilliant that he was able to overcome another anemic offensive night and spearhead a much-need 3-2 victory over the Nationals.
Today, ace Cristopher Sanchez is on the bump opposite Cade Cavalli trying to make it two in a row and secure the series. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm, ET, at the Bank.
Let’s dive into the pitching matchups, betting odds, and predictions so your wagers aren’t the butt of today’s April 1st joke.
Phillies vs Nationals Odds
Nationals vs Phillies Betting Picks & Predictions
Let’s cut right to the chase because nobody has time to beat around the bush on a Wednesday afternoon when you could be arguing about sports radio down in Clifton Heights.
The Pick: Phillies to Win by 1.5+ (NO, 47¢ / +113 at Kalshi)
Remember, the prediction site Kalshi is a YES or NO deal. We fully expect Sanchez to dominate the Nats and give the Phils a chance to take the series, but until this offense gets going, asking the Phillies to win by 2 runs is too much. So for this market, you would select NO. A $10 investment in this contract would produce a profit of $12 if the Phillies lose or win by 1 run.
If you were with us yesterday, you’re welcome. We made the same recommendation (at a better price, too) and it cashed in the Phillies’ 3-2 victory.
Of course, you have other options, too. At the current moneyline odds, the vig-free implied probabilities give the Phillies a 70.35% chance to win, leaving the Nationals at 29.65%. But why on earth would we back the heavily favored Phillies on the run line? Because right now, they are playing like they left their bats at a Wawa on Broad Street. The Nationals are surprisingly competent on the road, while the Phillies’ offense looks completely lost in its own ballpark.
The Phillies are averaging just 3.40 runs per game at home.
Of course, if Sanchez is on, he doesn’t need a ton of runs. He beat Texas 5-3 on Opening Day.
Cristopher Sánchez vs Nationals
| GS | W-L | IP | ER | ERA | WHIP | H | BB | K | HR | Opp AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3-2 | 50.0 | 21 | 3.78 | 1.28 | 52 | 12 | 38 | 2 | .265 |
Cade Cavalli vs Phillies
| GS | W-L | IP | ER | ERA | WHIP | H | BB | K | HR | OPP AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1-0 | 13.0 | 3 | 2.08 | 1.23 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 1 | .275 |
Top Phillies Player Props & Predictions
Brandon Marsh – Over 0.5 Total Hits (-157 at DraftKings)
If you are looking for the singular bright spot in the lineup right now, trust Marsh. While the high-priced superstars are struggling, Marsh is the only guy who remembers how to hold a bat. He is quietly putting on a clinic, batting .400 with six hits and a couple of doubles in just 15 at bats. Today, he gets the distinct pleasure of facing Cade Cavalli, a pitcher who has been incredibly hospitable to opposing hitters with a 1.636 WHIP and a 4.909 ERA over 11 innings. Expect Marsh to slap a hit and find his way on base.
Bryce Harper To Hit a Home Run (+325 at DraftKings)
OK, we’re feeling generous and perhaps trying to will this one into existence. Harper is hitting .100 (2-for-20 without an extra-base hit). But he had solid at-bats in the opener vs. the Nats — again, he crushed a foul ball into the seats — and had a single last night. At some point, he’s going to run into one and these odds make it worth a shot.
Chris Wright is a 30-time APSE award-winning MLB, NBA and college editor with previous stints at the Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer. He vacationed at the Vet, believes Chase Utley is a HOFer and moved to Clearwater to watch the Phillies year-round. His magazine portfolio includes working as a writer and editor at Baseball America. He has decades of experience leading award-winning coverage of the NBA, Major League Baseball, College Baseball, College Basketball, College Football, and the ATP and WTA tennis tours. He has contributed to highly successful NFL coverage as well. Over the course of his career, Chris' team of writers has covered 4 men's Final Fours, 2 Super Bowls, 1 MLB World Series, dozens of professional tennis tournaments and NCAA championships in football and baseball. Chris joined Saturday Down South in 2015 and quickly was promoted to Executive Editor, where he successfully helped build the staff and directed college football, college basketball and college baseball coverage for 10 years. Under Chris' leadership and mentoring, Saturday Down South grew into the largest SEC-only website in America. In 2025, Chris took on a new challenge as the Evergreen Editor at SportRadar, primarily building and maintaining pages for Saturday Down South. In addition to overseeing that project, Chris also uses AI tools to cover MLB, the NBA, college sports, tennis and the NFL for Saturday Down South, Saturday Tradition, Crossing Broad, Sports Betting Dime and ESNY.