The Philadelphia Phillies are back in action later today and will be looking to build on their July 4th win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Following a stellar outing from Aaron Nola, the Phillies will be sending their hidden ace, Taijuan Walker, to the mound on Wednesday.
Phillies vs Rays info
Date: Wednesday, July 5th
Time: 6:05PM ET
Location: Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay
TV channel: MLB TV
Phillies vs Rays Betting odds
Money line: Philadelphia Phillies (+100) | Tampa Ba Rays (-120)
Run Line: Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (+170) | Tampa Bay Rays +1.5 (-200)
Run total: Over/Under 9 (-110)
Pitching matchup
Taijuan Walker (9-3, 3.93 ERA) vs Zack Littell (0-1, 5.28 ERA)
Taijuan Walker’s resurgence has been one of the most impressive stories of the 2023 season. Through 6 games in June, Walker maintained a stunning 1.50 ERA, allowing only 6 runs and 22 hits during 36 innings. He’ll have his work cut out for him against a side this dangerous, but if he can pitch the way he has been, Walker has every chance of keeping Yandy and company quiet.
Standing across from Walker will be Zack Littell, who will be making his second start but likely lead in a bullpen effort today. He has a 4.15 ERA and looks set to open things up for Yonny Chirinos, who has allowed at least 6 hits in each of his last 3 starts. This should be a strong spot for Taijuan Walker to gain an advantage.
Phillies vs Rays Betting preview
This will be a real test for Taijuan Walker. Where the Rays and Phils differ is in offensive efficiency. Tampa Bay ranks second in runs scored, home runs, AND slugging. The question surrounding Walker this year has been ‘when will the good times stop coming?’ No signs of that so far, but there’s no doubting that this will be a tough game to earn a win from.
My bet for tonight is a contrarian one – betting the under. I’m inversing yesterday’s selection that saw two great pitchers perform brilliantly and allowed just 4 runs. We have a slightly higher total to play with here and Walker’s exceptional form should bode well for the under provided that Walker stays hot.
As an outright bet, I love the Phillies in this spot.
Best Phillies vs Rays betting promos
DraftKings has an exciting promo to keep football fans excited. If you place a $5 bet on any MLB Market, you’ll get $200 in free bets if your team wins!
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
