The Phillies and Giants are both getting to the point in the season where their attention may be diverted from their divisional foes ahead of them to the ongoing Wild Card race. And that is why this three-game series looms so large in the NL playoff picture.

The Phillies and Giants are both within striking distance in their respective divisions, but neither seems to have been able to gain ground over the past weeks with Atlanta in the NL East and San Diego in the NL West showing no signs of going into the tank come September.

Entering Tuesday night’s game scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET in Philadelphia, the Giants and Phillies are in a near deadlock atop the Wild Card standings. The Phillies (66-51, .564) are just ahead of the Giants (67-52, .563) based on percentage points.

The significance of this series is obvious but is also being displayed by the vibes coming from Phillies manager Charlie Manuel after hinting that Phillies slugger Chase Utley could return for this series. Utley has been out of action since June 28. His return would be a major boost to a lineup that has also been without David Ortiz since Aug. 1. Without both Utley and Ortiz in the lineup the Phillies have managed to go 9-3.

The Giants had a chance to stake their claim to the NL West, but it let San Diego come into town and take two of three games in a weekend series that ended Sunday. The Phillies have quickly ascended in the standings by winning 18 of 23.

The Giants and Phillies are not just similar in their records. Both teams are batting a combined .260. The emergence of Pat Burrell has given San Francisco a major offensive boost. In the past two weeks he has batted .318 with 14 RBI.

MLB Predictions: Pitching Matchup
Barry Zito (LHP, 8-6, 3.44 ERA) vs. Roy Oswalt (RHP, 7-13, 3.34 ERA)
San Francisco probably has as much of a book on Oswalt as his new teammates in Philadelphia do. This is Oswalt’s fourth start for the Phillies and fourth start against the Giants. Oswalt’s starts against the Giants have been a microcosm of his season. He pitches spectacular but gets no support and is almost always saddled with the loss. The former Astro is 0-3 against San Francisco with a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings and 15 strikeouts to three walks.

Zito has not faced the Phillies this year.  His ERA is down from the previous two seasons, but an alarming trend has started with Zito allowing at least one home run in five consecutive games.

Giants vs. Phillies Betting Odds
The Phillies enter the game as -145 favorites with San Francisco listed at +125. The total is 7.5 and an ‘over’ is listed at -115. Lines are courtesy of Sportsbook.com.

Giants vs. Phillies Betting Trends
Giants are 11-2 in their last 13 games after a loss
Phillies are 10-1 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning record
Phillies are 18-5 in their last 23 overall and 20-6 in their last 26 home games
Giants are 4-12 in their last 16 games in Philadelphia

Giants vs. Phillies Betting Picks and Predictions
The potential return of Utley and the return home to Philadelphia could not have come at a better time for the Phillies, who should be greeted by a charged-up crowd for this game with serious playoff implications. The veteran Oswalt thrives in these situations and he has a great track record against the Giants this season in three starts. Zito has allowed eight home runs in his last five games, one of the worst stretches of his career, and now he enters the band box that is Citizens Bank Park. This one has Phillies written all over it.

Allen Eastman is one of the hottest MLB handicappers in the nation right now with 11 of 16 winning nights. He has helped his $100-per-unit baseball picks clients bank $5,800 this season and he has a 7-Unit MLB Game of the Month going for Tuesday Also, check Doc’s Sports homepage each day for exclusive baseball betting articles, current baseball lines and matchup reports to as well!