Phillies vs Marlins Odds, Betting Lines, and Picks (Oct. 3)
- The Philadelphia Phillies are -140 road favorites over the Miami Marlins in a game between NL East rivals on Sunday, October 3
- In the last five games played at Miami between these two teams, the Marlins show three wins
- Through 18 games against each other this season, each team has nine wins
In the race for the National League East Division title, the Philadelphia Phillies (82-79, 35-45 away) came up short. Depending upon perspective, the Miami Marlins (66-95, 41-39 home) can take credit, or receive blame for at least being part of the cause of Philly’s demise. The Marlins have won nine of 18 games from Philadelphia this season.
The Phillies enter the final day of the MLB regular season five games behind the division-winning Atlanta Braves. Playing .500 ball against the cellar-dwelling team in their division proved costly to Philadelphia.
If it’s any consolation, oddsmakers are picking the Phillies as -140 road favorites to get the victory Sunday and win the season series from the Marlins. Philadelphia is just 14-18 as an away favorite this season.
Phillies vs Marlins Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | -140 | -1.5 (+130) | O 7 (-105) |
| Miami Marlins | +120 | +1.5 (-150) | U 7 (-115) |
Odds as of October 2nd at DraftKings
First pitch for Sunday’s game at LoanDepot park is slated for 3:10pm ET. The weather forecast is calling for chance of a showers, 19 mph wind and a temperature of 88 degrees.
Lopez Wraps Marlins’ Season
Originally, right-hander and NL Cy Young Award candidate Zack Wheeler was the scheduled starter for the Phillies. However, with nothing to play for, Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi decided to shut down Wheeler for the season.
Certainly, Wheeler’s absence figures to change the betting line on his game. He’s been a sensation this season. Wheeler will finish 14-10 with a 2.78 ERA. He leads all of baseball in innings pitched, complete games (3), shutouts (2), batters faced (849) and pitching bWAR (7.5). Wheeler leads the National League with 247 strikeouts. According to FanGraphs, he’s second in the NL in FIP (2.58) and WAR (7.3).
The Phillies haven’t named a starter for Sunday, but it will either be right-hander Adonis Medina or lefty Bailey Falter.
Phillies have placed RHP Connor Brogdon on the 10-day IL with right groin tightness and recalled RHP Seranthony Domínguez from Lehigh Valley (AAA).
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) October 2, 2021
Marlins right-hander Pablo Lopez was also enjoying a stellar year when he was shut down in July with a rotator cuff strain in his pitching shoulder.
After an 0-3 start to the year, Lopez went 5-2 over his next seven decisions. He was 3-1 in his last four verdicts when the injury brought a halt to his season. Lopez has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 15 of his 19 starts during the 2021 season.
#Marlins manager Don Mattingly said the plan is for Pablo Lopez to start Sunday's season finale.
— Jordan McPherson (@J_McPherson1126) September 30, 2021
He faced the Phils once his season, on May 27. Lopez worked seven innings, allowing two earned runs. He didn’t figure in the decision as Philadelphia won 3-2.
Lopez threw two innings in a rehab appearance at Triple-A Jacksonville on September 2. As well, he worked three simulated innings during a bullpen session this past Tuesday. Last season, his 3.09 FIP ranked 15th among MLB pitchers who threw at least 50 innings.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Phillies Batters | Batting Average vs Lopez |
|---|---|
| Alec Bohm | .167 |
| Freddy Galvis | .333 |
| Didi Gregorius | .000 |
| Bryce Harper | .400 |
| Odubel Herrera | .333 |
| Travis Jankowski | .000 |
| Andrew Knapp | .000 |
| Andrew McCutchen | .200 |
| Brad Miller | .250 |
| JT Realmuto | .000 |
| Jean Segura | .333 |
| Ronald Torreyes | .000 |
| Matt Vierling | .000 |
Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper is 4-for-10 (.400) with three RBI when facing Lopez. Third baseman Freddy Galvis is 1-for-3 with a homer and four RBI.
🚨 FREDDY GALVIS HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/6I6OwQ2q3E
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) September 3, 2021
Philadelphia second baseman Jean Segura is 2-for-6 (.333) with an RBI. Centerfielder Odubel Herrera is also 2-for-6 (.333).
Phillies vs Marlins Pick
Segura (back) missed the past two games but may start Sunday. Phillies backup catcher Andrew Knapp is batting .156. That’s the lowest average for a Phillies player with at least 150 plate appearances in a season since Don Casey hit .152 in 1886.
The Phillies recalled right-hander Seranthony Dominguez and he’ll pitch at some point on Sunday. Just 26, he’s making his return from Tommy John surgery. Dominguez was going to be a key piece for the Phils bullpen before the injury. He has not appeared in MLB since 2019.
From 2018-19, Dominguez made 80 MLB appearances. He posted a 3.27 ERA, 3.20 FIP, 30.2% strikeout rate, and 10.0% walk rate.
A 3-1 win on Saturday by the Marlins ended a two-game winning streak for Philly in Miami. The Marlins have won 8 of the past 12 games from the Phillies in Miami.
Pick: Miami Marlins (+120).
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
