Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

Philadelphia Phillies vs Miami Marlins: An NL East matchup

The Philadelphia Phillies are visiting the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park on Thursday.

Is this the season for the Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are on top of the NL East with the second-best record in the MLB, 83-56, including 36-31 on the road. They have won the last four games and are coming off a sweep in the two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Phillies have a 3.72 ERA, a .238 batting average, a .300 on-base percentage, and 1.21 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Alec Bohm leads the team with 147 hits, Kyle Schwarber is on top with 93 runs, and 32 home runs.

The Marlins are locked to the bottom of the division

The Miami Marlins are at the bottom of the NL East with a 52-87 record, including 26-45 at home. They have won 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 4-3 win over the Washington Nationals. Miami has a 4.75 ERA, a .254 batting average, a .332 on-base percentage, and 1.39 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Jake Burger is the best player on the team, with 110 hits, 58 runs, and 25 home runs for the season.

Betting Trends

The Marlins are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games, 4-12 SU in their last 16 home games and 5-1 SU in their last 6 games in September. Miami has played over the total run line in 6 of their last 9 games against the Phillies and 4 of their last 5 home games against them while they have stayed under in 8 of their last 11 games against teams from the NL East. The Phillies are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games overall, 8-4 SU in their last 12 games against teams from the NL and 8-4 SU in their last 12 games against teams from the NL East. Philadelphia has played over the total run line in 4 of their last 5 games on the road.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Philadelphia Phillies have had an excellent season, and they are gunning for the top seed in the entire NL. Winning four in a row put them in a great situation going south to visit the bottom team of the division. The Marlins are already eliminated from the playoff race, but still, they have had a solid week. The Marlins will go with Adam Oller, who is 1-1 for the season with a 3.31 ERA, 16K, 16.1 IP, and 1.04 WHIP. The Phillies will have Ranger Suarez on the mound, who is 11-6 for the season with a 3.02 ERA, 128 K, 128.1 IP, and 1.08 WHIP. This will be a routine game for the Phillies, who will set the tone for the series by winning this one by covering the -1.5-run spread.