Get ready to have a caffeine IV for the next three days because the Philadelphia Phillies are on the west coast and there’s an NLCS preview to watch.

Okay, I get it, it’s just one game, but this is streakiest sport in the world we’re talking about and it’s amazing how much one single win can do for a baseball team.

In the Phillies’ case, it happened right in time for the matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the current favorite to win the World Series and National League. The sportsbook opinions on the Dodgers make it no surprise that the Phillies are a +125 series underdog in southern California this week.

Now this isn’t a typical Phillies/Dodgers series. Yes, the Dodgers still have Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, but Mookie Betts is working back from injury and Freddie Freeman is away from the team due to a personal matter.

The Dodgers added a bunch of role players to their lineup at the trade deadline, but no one other than pitcher Jack Flaherty potentially moved the needle.


So the Phillies enter Monday with the more powerful lineup on paper, and that matters, because the pitching matchups are pretty much even.

Monday’s game pits Aaron Nola against Tyler Glasnow in what has the potential to be one of the best pitching battles of the entire 2024 MLB season.

Nola held the Dodgers to one earned run and four hits in six innings on July 11th. Glasnow is a strikeout machine who has pitched six full innings in four of his last six starts.

The Under 7.5 is very much in play on Monday, but after that, it could be kind of a crapshoot when it comes to runs.

Cristopher Sanchez is going up against Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday, and while on paper it could be a great battle, Kershaw’s allowed 12 hits and and nine runs in 7.2 innings and Sanchez allowed 22 hits in his last three starts.

Kershaw frankly doesn’t care about an August game, even if it’s against the Phillies, because he’s gearing up to be ready for October.

The Dodgers have an edge with Gavin Stone going up against Tyler Phillips on Wednesday, but Stone is in a rough patch of form. He’s allowed four or more earned runs in four of his last five appearances.

So save your over and player props and PA sports betting promo for Tuesday and Wednesday when the stars have a ton of potential to shine in a massive way, and in the Phillies’ case, that may be the best thing possible to potentially shift the World Series and NL pennant odds in their favor.