Phillies vs Blue Jays: Best bets, TV schedule & betting preview for August 16th

The Philadelphia Phillies dropped two games against the Minnesota Twins this past weekend and then fell short of the mark against the Blue Jays despite a nearly perfect day from Zack Wheeler. With the offense continuing to struggle, the Phils will be hoping for a better day in game 2 of this series.

Phillies vs Blue Jays info

Date: Wednesday, August 16th
Time: 7:05PM ET
Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto
TV channel: MLB TV

Phillies vs Blue Jays Betting odds

Money line: Philadelphia Phillies (+124) | Toronto Blue Jays (-148)
Run Line: Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 (-166) | Toronto Blue Jays -1.5 (+140)
Run total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)

Pitching matchup

Aaron Nola (9-9, 4.49 ERA) vs Kevin Gausman (9-6, 3.04 ERA)

The Phillies were unable to win despite a stunning effort from Zack Wheeler against one of the league’s most potent offenses yesterday. Aaron Nola will now be hoping to double down on Wheeler’s efforts, silencing an offense that came into the series ranked 5th in batting average.

Not helping matters is the fact that Nola has struggled over the last few weeks. Through two games in August, he maintains a 5.23 ERA having given up 13 hits and 6 runs in games against the Royals and Nationals. The Phillies’ ace has allowed 5+ runs in 3 of his last 7 along with 7 home runs. This could be a spot to back Toronto’s power-hitters.

As for Kevin Gausman, he’s looking as good as he ever has. The Wiley veteran has only allowed 3+ runs in 4 of his last 12 games and has a 3.63 ERA over his last 10 games. If the Phillies cannot break out of this slump, there’s every chance that Gausman picks this offense apart in a home matchup.

Phillies vs Blue Jays Betting preview

Bryson Stott was one of only 3 Phils to record a hit in yesterday’s game.

This should be a low-scoring bout given the quality of pitching, so backing the UNDER feels like the logical play here, especially considering how inefficient the Phillies were this past weekend. The Phils might have the 9th ranked offense in terms of batting average, but are the 4th worst team in the MLB over their last 3 matchups. This total of 7.5 feels about right, but I don’t mind backing it here knowing that we have two very strong pitchers, and a Phillies offense that just can’t seem to get going recently.

If you’re looking for props – Nick Castellanos has 7 hits, 2 homers and a .292 average against Gausman in his career. He’s -205 to record a hit this evening, and +550 to record a home run.