Miami Marlins vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Offenses Will Be Stifled
The Miami Marlins had a solid win in the second game of this series against the Philadelphia Phillies and will look for another win today in the final. The lineup for the Phillies was shut down last night, managing to only put up one run.
| Game: Miami Marlins (19-23) at Philadelphia Phillies (22-21)
Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia  Time: 7:05 p.m. ET |
Betting Lines
| Team | Total | Odds |
| Miami Marlins | Over 8 | -115 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Under 8 | -105 |
Marlins’ Pitching
Getting the start for the series finale is Sandy Alcantara, who stands 1-3 with a 4.06 ERA and 51 strikeouts. Alcantara is a right-handed pitcher who, in his last time out, gave up eight runs in only 1⅓ innings against the Dodgers. It marked his shortest outing for the Marlins through his nine starts. Alcantra pitched against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month and went seven innings, striking out six, and allowing five hits and one run. Which Alcantara will show up is anyone’s guess.
Philadelphia’s Offense
Right fielder Bryce Harper leads the team with a .301 average and an on-base percentage of .423 while knocking seven home runs. His .959 OPS is good for 13th in all of the majors. This year, he has help from Rhys Hoskins, who has already played more games in 2021 than he did in all of last year.
Hoskins leads the team with eight home runs, 23 RBIs, and 43 hits (also more than he had last year) and seems to enjoy hitting behind Harper and J.T. Realmuto. Realmuto, and his .294 avg, four home runs, and 17 RBIs might be hurting a bit in this series after revealing he had a bone bruise at the base of his palm. The Phillies’ catcher is 0-fer in his last seven days with only one RBI.
Phillies’ Pitching
Philadelphia will send out Vince Velasquez. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.68 ERA and 37 strikeouts. Velasquez has been a nice surprise for the Phillies. In his last five starts, Velasquez has yet to allow more than three runs and has allowed one run in each of his last three starts while pitching at least 5.1 innings in each.
Miami’s Offense
The Miami Marlins’ lineup includes Sandy Leon (.185 avg, .467 OPS, 1 HR), Chad Wallach (.226 avg, .573 OPS, 0 HR) Jesus Aguilar (.273 avg, .879 OPS) and Brian Anderson (.216 avg, .605 OPS). These are not household names as Derek Jeter’s group is in it for the long haul and has put together a young team. At 19-23 and in fourth place of the NL East, the future is where they are aiming.
Weather
The forecast calls for a sunny day, with a high of 88 degrees and cooling to the high 70s for game time.
Line Moves
The line on the game opened at 7½ and was shaded to the over. The sharp money came in on the over overnight and the oddsmakers had to make a line move. By making it eight and continuing to shade it to the over, the sportsbooks are encouraging bettors to bet the under.
Pick
Miami bounced back after the game one loss and has a little momentum. With Sandy Alcantara as a starter, the Marlins look for another victory in the final game to win the series. Philadelphia wants to protect home turf, knowing it is one game back of the New York Mets, who are also coming off a loss. Velasquez should quiet the young Miami team while Alcantara does the same to the Phillies. Expect a pitching duel and a low-scoring affair as we take the sportsbooks suggestion and go under 8 runs, risking only $105 to win $100.
Pick: Under 8 Runs (-105)
