Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Odds, Predictions and Starting Pitchers (May 17)

• The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals face off for the 2nd time this season on Friday evening at 6:40 p.m. ET.
• The Phillies are the top team in the National League and the top team in the NL East, while the Nationals are 3rd in the NL East.
• See the Philadelphia Phillies vs Washington Nationals odds, starting pitchers, and predictions for May 17

The Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals are set to face off in an NL East battle Friday evening at 6:40 ET, marking the first game of their weekend series and their first time meeting the other since early April.

The Phillies are one of the best teams in the league, mixing strong batting numbers with a top 5 pitching unit in Major League Baseball. The Nationals, meanwhile, sit around the middle of the pack in the National league and have struggled to score at times, sitting in the bottom 5 of the league in RBI and hits. Still, the Nats have been able to find enough pitching to remain near .500 with a 20-22 record heading into June.

Keep reading to see the odds, starting pitchers and latest predictions for Friday night’s matchup.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook May 17. Check out our DraftKings promo code for more details.

The Phillies, as expected, are fairly heavy moneyline favorites at -265 on DraftKings. At the same time, Philadelphia is -115 to win by more than 2 runs.

Partly thanks to the fact Zack Wheeler is on the mound for the Phillies, the O/U is set at 7.5, with the under given -118 odds of hitting. The Phillies are 22-20 against the Over, hitting it slightly more often than not.

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Philadelphia vs. Washington Starting Pitchers

Jake Irvin is listed as the probable starter for the Nationals while star Zack Wheeler is probable to be on the bump for the Phillies.

Wheeler needs little introduction. Widely considered to be one of the best pitchers in the National League, Wheeler has an insane 0.99 WHIP and a 2.53 ERA, which ranks 15th in the league. Wheeler and Aaron Nola have combined to put the Phillies’ pitching unit as one of the best in Major League Baseball and he’ll make life very difficult for a Nationals squad that already struggles to score runs.

Wheeler turned in an otherworldly end to April, taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning against the White Sox and finishing with just 1 hit allowed and 8 strikeouts. He followed it up 5 days later by allowing just 1 hit with 0 runs to the Reds while adding another 8 strikeouts.

What a performance by Zack Wheeler taking a no-hitter into the 8th! Only walked 2 and struck out 8. Already at 106 pitches, would’ve been interesting had he made it into the 9th. Hat tip to Phillies manager Rob Thomson for giving him a shot. #RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/FTyxuMk7XS

— StatsBrad (@StatsBrad) April 21, 2024

Irvin and Trevor Williams have held the Nationals in check this season. Irvin had a strong outing last time up, allowing just 4 hits and a pair of runs against Boston on May 11 across 7 innings pitched. He’s faced the Phillies during their series earlier in the season, allowing 5 hits and 4 runs in what my have been his worst outing of the season.

We’ll see if Irvin can bounce back this time around in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals Prediction (May 17)

Everything is pointing towards Philidelphia winning this one with relative ease, folks. Wheeler is on the mound, the Phillies are the far superior offensive team and the Phillies (31-13, 16-7 home) are the host team.

All 3 games earlier this season finished under the 7.5 mark set for Friday’s matchup, and we’d take the bet that this one will follow suit.

PHI vs. WAS picks: Phillies -1.5 (-115), U 7.5 (-118)