The Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds are each hovering close to .500, and each are chasing division leaders. Both teams rank in the top six in home runs hit in the 2026 MLB season, but in the bottom half in scoring overall. The MLB playoff hopefuls face off in the series finale on Wednesday.
Start time and location
First pitch from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia is set for 1:05 p.m. ET. It's getaway day in Philly, and each team hopes to finish strong.
Starting pitchers
The Phillies are starting veteran Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.91 ERA). The Reds are going with left-hander Andrew Abbott (3-2, 4.21 ERA).
Phillies vs. Reds odds
Philadelphia is a -145 favorite on the money line, while the Reds are +122 underdogs. The over/under is set at 10 runs.
Top Reds vs. Phillies predictions
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times and enters Week 9 of the MLB season on a 12-1 run on all top-rated MLB picks.
After 10,000 simulations, the model is going Under 10 combined runs in the over/under betting. The Over has hit in nearly 64% of Reds games all season, but the model believes in the pitchers.
Abbott is 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA in three May starts, while Nola has been better at home and in day games. Nola and the Phillies' bullpen (3.00 ERA in May) are enough to keep that side down.
SportsLine's model projects that the teams combine for 8.9 combined runs, making the Under the solid value play as it hits 61% of the time.