Phillies

With Phils Searching for another Win, Nats Arrive Just in Time

By Chris Wright

Published: Mar 30th, 2026 · 3:45 PM EDT

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The Phillies are off to a blistering 1-2 start, and while WIP callers are melting down, panic hasn’t quite set in yet. Let’s give the notoriously level-headed local faithful another day or two. Tonight, they look to steady the ship against the surprisingly competent 2-1 Nationals. First pitch is slated for 6:40 pm, ET, under the lights at the Bank.

The Phillies went 8-5 vs. the Nats last season and are 24-15 (.615) over the past 3 seasons.

Will Taijuan Walker find the strike zone and outduel Foster Griffin? Will Bryce Harper find his swing against his former team, or will the Nationals continue to overachieve? Let’s break down the betting angles.

Nationals vs Phillies Best Bets & Predictions

The Pick: Over 9 Runs (-115 at Bet365)

If you are tuning into this game hoping to see a pitching masterclass, you might want to change the channel. We are hammering the over tonight because both staffs are handing out base runners like free Wawa hoagies.

Sure, the sample size is small, but the Nats are averaging 6.00 runs per game while batting .260. They are seeing the ball well, posting an .820 OPS away from home. Meanwhile, the Nationals’ overall pitching staff sports a less-than-stellar 4.85 ERA. Not exactly Cy Young material.

Speaking of which … Walker makes his season debut tonight after going 5-8 with a 4.08 ERA last year. Sure, the star-studded lineup is hitting .186 in its own yard with just a 10.60% walk rate, but they are bound to wake up eventually — especially against Foster Griffin and a visiting bullpen that isn’t terrifying anyone.

Take the over, sit back, and enjoy what should inevitably devolve into a sloppy, high-scoring slugfest.

Phillies Player Prop Bets vs Nationals

Bryce Harper – Over 0.5 Total Hits (-226 at DraftKings)

Harper has had success against the Nats since arriving, batting .299 with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs in 93 games.

Nobody’s denying he’s in an early funk — 1-for-11 with 3 Ks does all the talking — but we’re expecting him to break out tonight.

(If you’re more caught up in the fact he has as many hits as broken bats, you can currently find the under at -195 on DraftKings and -200 on BetMGM.)

Take a look at Harper’s career numbers vs. his former team.

Season	G	PA	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	AVG	OPS
2019	19	78	64	17	4	0	3	9	14	.266	.866
2020	10	45	30	6	0	0	2	3	15	.200	.867
2021	18	82	67	27	6	0	7	14	14	.403	1.318
2022	9	39	32	9	2	0	1	6	7	.281	.848
2023	13	58	47	14	5	0	1	5	9	.298	.899
2024	11	46	41	12	3	0	0	4	4	.293	.714
2025	13	56	53	15	3	0	2	6	3	.283	.774
Career	93	404	334	100	23	0	16	47	66	.299	.930

Alec Bohm – Over 0.5 Total Runs Batted In (+244 at DraftKings)

Bohm already has 4 RBIs and a home run on his two hits this season. In a matchup where we expect plenty of traffic on the basepaths thanks to a pair of overly generous pitching staffs, back Bohm to stumble his way into another RBI situation while the rest of the lineup continues to flail wildly at sliders in the dirt. The over offers excellent value at +244 on DraftKings.

Taijuan Walker Career Pitching vs Nationals

Season	G	GS	IP	W	L	H	HR	BB	K	ER	ERA	WHIP
2017	1	1	4.7	0	0	5	0	5	6	3	5.79	2.143
2021	3	3	17.7	1	1	19	4	6	15	10	5.09	1.415
2022	2	2	11.3	1	0	7	0	1	11	0	0.00	.706
2024	1	1	4.7	0	0	4	2	3	3	3	5.79	1.500
2025	3	3	17.3	0	2	13	1	8	10	6	3.12	1.212
Career	10	10	55.7	2	3	48	7	23	45	22	3.56	1.275

Phillies Hitters Career Stats vs Nats Relievers

Brandon Marsh is the only Phillie who has faced Foster Griffin (he walked), so let’s focus on how the Phils have fared against Nats relievers.

Player	PA	AB	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS
Adolis García	6	6	0	0	0	.000	.000
Alec Bohm	18	17	6	0	1	.353	.801
Brandon Marsh	8	5	1	1	3	.200	1.229
Bryce Harper	16	15	5	0	2	.333	.908
Bryson Stott	16	13	3	0	1	.231	.543
Dylan Moore	7	6	2	0	1	.333	1.095
Edmundo Sosa	12	11	2	0	0	.182	.364
J.T. Realmuto	14	9	2	0	2	.222	.722
Justin Crawford	0	0	0	0	0	–	–
Kyle Schwarber	21	16	4	0	2	.250	.741
Otto Kemp	0	0	0	0	0	–	–
Trea Turner	17	14	6	0	1	.429	1.029