Boston Red Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction, 5/5/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Philadelphia Phillies

Date: Friday, May 5, 2023

Location: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA

TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (+125) Philadelphia (-145)

Citizens Bank Park is the site where the Philadelphia Phillies (15-17) will try to beat the Boston Red Sox (18-14) on Friday. The odds on this game have Boston at +125 and Philadelphia is sitting at -145. The betting total is set at 8. The pitchers taking the mound will be Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler.

As a unit, the Boston Red Sox are earning 5.8 runs per outing, which has them at 3rd in the league. They have tallied 184 runs scored while having a team on-base percentage of .342. The Red Sox have recorded 72 doubles as a team and have knocked 44 balls out of the stadium. They have 175 RBI's in addition to 297 hits over the course of the season, and their batting average comes in at .270. Boston has a slugging percentage of .458 and have been rung up 244 times, while drawing a walk on 110 occasions.

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Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.77 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.34. Red Sox pitchers have conceded 44 home runs in addition to 165 total runs (25th in baseball). Boston has conceded 282 hits (9.0 per 9 innings) and 155 earned runs. The Red Sox hold a team earned run average of 4.93 on the season (24th in the league), and their staff has struck out 269 hitters. They have walked 97 opposing batters and their FIP is 4.71 as a team on the season.

The Red Sox have dispatched 101 relievers to the hill this season. The relief pitchers have inherited 20 runners for the year with 45.0% of those players crossed home plate. They have earned 8 saves on the campaign and have blown 2 of 10 save chances. The Red Sox relievers have accumulated a save percentage of 80.0% and stepped onto the hill in 27 save situations. The relievers have accumulated 17 holds on the season (12th in MLB). Red Sox bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill with opponents on base 12 times and also have had 22 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Boston Red Sox have earned 849 putouts on the campaign, as well as 281 assists and 22 errors. Their fielding rate sits at .981 which has them sitting 28th in the majors, and they have twisted 27 double plays. The Red Sox have transformed 68.3% of balls in play into outs out of 2,547 innings on the field, ranking them 20th in MLB.

Sale has taken the hill for 1,707 innings and has tallied 2,099 K's so far in his pro baseball career. Sale (116-77 record in his career) has earned a FIP of 2.95 while he has gone up against 6,886 hitters in the majors. His earned run average is 3.09 (587 ER's allowed) and his WHIP is 1.050. He has given up 1,395 hits (7.4 hits per 9 innings) with 397 walks.

Philadelphia has tallied 35 home runs so far this year and 132 RBIs. They have put up 63 doubles, while walking 85 times as well as putting up 137 runs. The Philadelphia Phillies hold an OBP of .323 in addition to a batting average of .266 on the year. The Phillies hold a team SLG% of .433 and they score 4.28 runs per contest (18th in the league). They have been called out on strikes on 292 occasions (6th in the league) and have recorded 294 base knocks.

The Phillies hold a team WHIP of 1.386 in addition to having a FIP of 4.21 as a staff on the year. They are currently ranked 20th in the league as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 271. The Philadelphia pitching staff have given up 166 runs for the season while having a team ERA of 5.13 (158 earned runs given up). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 9.50 (294 strikeouts vs 113 walks). They have surrendered 35 home runs and they give up 5.39 runs per 9 innings (26th in MLB).

Philadelphia bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 51.1% out of their 47 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have come in 27 times in high leverage situations and on 28 occasions with base runners. With 28 save situations, the Phillies have earned 17 holds and 3 blown saves. They are ranked 6th in MLB with a save percentage of 72.7%, and they have sent 111 relievers to the hill on the season. Philadelphia has had relief pitchers enter the contest in 11 save opportunities and they have tallied 8 saves.

The Philadelphia Phillies have turned 16 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .990 (7th in professional baseball). The Phillies have recorded 252 assists, 11 errors and have a tally of 832 putouts over the course of the season. Out of their 2,496 innings on the diamond, the Phillies have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 67.7% (23rd in professional baseball).

Wheeler (77-58 career win-loss mark) is the owner of a 3.43 earned run average and has conceded 8.0 hits per nine innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.26 and he has faced 5,067 batters thus far in his career. He has given up a total of 465 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.203 and a FIP of 3.4. In his MLB career, Wheeler has conceded 1,090 base knocks while he has accumulated 1,230 K's in 1,219 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Boston (+125)

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