Phillies vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers and Prop Bets for Saturday, Aug. 16

Iain MacMillan | Aug 16, 2025

The Phillies are road favorites against the Nationals on Saturday. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies got back in the win column on Friday, taking down the Washington Nationals by a score of 6-2. The two teams will play the third game in their four-game NL East set on Saturday afternoon.

The Phillies continue to pull away from the New York Mets atop the NL East, but they still have a lot of work to do if they want to catch the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the National League.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bets for today's divisional matchup.

Phillies vs. Nationals Odds, Run Line, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line

• Phillies -1.5 (+108)
• Nationals +1.5 (-130)

Moneyline

• Phillies -142
• Nationals +120

Total

• Over 9.5 (-118)
• Under 9.5 (-104)

Phillies vs. Nationals Probable Pitchers

• Philadelphia: Taijuan Walker, RHP (4-5, 3.39 ERA)
• Washington: Cade Cavalli, RHP (0-0, 3.86 ERA)

Phillies vs. Nationals How to Watch

• Date: Saturday, August 16
• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Venue: Nationals Park
• How to Watch (TV): NBCSP, MASN
• Phillies Record: 70-52
• Nationals Record: 49-73

Phillies vs. Nationals Best MLB Prop Bet

• Josh Bell Home Run (+450) via BetMGM

In today's edition of Daily Dinger, I broke down why I'm betting on Josh Bell to hit a home run:

Don't let Taijuan Walker's solid 3.39 ERA fool you too much. He has given up 1.5 home runs per nine innings this season. If you're looking for a home run hitter that has some betting value, don't be afraid to bet on a member of the Washington Nationals. The player I'm going to target is Josh Bell, who has already recorded 15 home runs this season, and he has also already recorded a home run off Walker in his career.

Phillies vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

I'm backing the OVER in today's NL East showdown. I broke down why in today's edition of Walk-Off Wagers:

I have little faith in Taijuan Walker in this game. He's set to get the start for the Phillies, and while his 3.39 ERA looks strong, he has a 4.85 FIP, 1.294 WHIP, and has allowed 1.5 home runs per nine innings pitched. Those numbers tell me that some regression could be coming sooner rather than later for the Phillies' arm.

With that being said, I don't have much interest in completely fading Philadelphia, whose offense has been heating up lately and now ranks seventh in OPS since the All-Star Break. They shouldn't have much of an issue scoring runs against Cade Cavalli, who's making just his third start this season.

That's why the bet to make in this one is going to be the OVER 9.5 at -122 odds.

Pick: OVER 9.5 (-122) via FanDuel

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