Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/06/2026

Game Time: 6:05 pm ET, Thursday, August 6, 2026

Venue:  Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Nationals +250, Phillies -300; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Nationals +250, Phillies -300; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Nationals +250, Phillies -300; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Washington Nationals:  55-60 (4th place, NL East)

Philadelphia Phillies:  61-53 (2nd place, NL East)

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Washington Nationals:  2-8 last 10

Philadelphia Phillies:  5-5 last 10

The Nationals are entering this series off a loss and got swept in their 4-game series against the Atlanta Braves 4-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 55-60 record overall and have a road record of 32-26. This is the series finale of a 4-game series with the Phillies on Thursday with the 3rd game still to be played on Wednesday. The Nationals lost the series opener on Monday and the 2nd game on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 2nd in the MLB with a .765 OPS. Jake Irvin is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Miles Mikolas is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 3-8 with a 5.67 ERA this season. His team lost 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 4 ER, 3 HR, and 1 BB with 3 SO on 9 hits through 6 IP against the Atlanta Braves.

The Phillies are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 61-53 record overall and have a home record of 30-27. This is the 4th game of a 4-game series with the Nationals on Thursday with the 3rd game of this series still to be played on Wednesday. The Phillies won the 1st game of this series on Monday and the 2nd game on Tuesday. Their offense ranks 22nd in the MLB with a .706 OPS. Rookie pitcher Andrew Painter is their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Cristopher Sánchez is making his start in this game on Thursday. He is 14-4 with a 2.61 ERA this season. His team won their last 4 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 5 walks with 11 strikeouts on 2 hits through 6 innings pitched against the Baltimore Orioles.

The current betting odds have the Phillies listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Phillies have looked good in their games this season with their 61-53 record overall which has them right near the top of the NL East. They have looked good in their own ballpark too with their 30-27 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Nationals haven't looked great in their games this season with their 55-60 record overall which has them right near the bottom of the NL East. They have been a great road team though with their 32-26 road record this year. The Phillies are 5-5 in their last 10 games and they haven't looked great lately, but they have already taken the first 2 games of this series and they have looked a lot better than the Nationals who are 2-8 in their last 10 games. The Nationals have been in the Wild Card race all year, but they are starting to slump at the worst possible time. They also traded away their best starter at the trade deadline and pitching has been their biggest weakness this season, so this starting rotation isn't a great situation and they aren't going to have their best option in this one. The Phillies are going with Sanchez in this one and he has looked great this season. He is 14-4 with a 2.61 ERA and he has been their ace this year. He is coming off another great start giving up no runs which has been a common theme for him all year and the team has also had a ton of success with him, winning 4 games in a row now with him starting. The Phillies have been rolling in this series with their offense picking up too, so look for them to take advantage of this pitching matchup with their best on the mound. The best way to place a bet here is on the Phillies to win this game and on the runline. 

Nationals Phillies Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Thursday, August 6, 2026 (6:05 pm ET start time) is Phillies 6 Nationals 1.

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Washington Nationals: 56-81 (-7.1 units) on the moneyline against division opponents. 131-183 (-5.2 units) on the moneyline vs. a team with a good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 or better. 3-12 (-6.2 units) on the moneyline vs. a starting pitcher whose winning percentage is better than 70%. 9-2 UNDER when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season.

Philadelphia Phillies: 255-192 (+6.7 units) on the moneyline in all games. 141-83 (+20.4 units) on the moneyline in home games. 177-118 (+24.9 units) on the moneyline against right-handed starters. 19-12 UNDER vs. NL teams allowing 4.5 or more runs/game on the season.

Washington Nationals:  J. Wood (RF) Ten Day - Side. P. Poulin (RP) Sixty Day IL - Flexor. C. Early (SP) Fifteen Day IL - Elbow. D. Millas (C) Ten Day IL - Finger. B. Lord (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Side. M. Parker (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. R. Lovelady (RP) Sixty Day IL - Triceps. K. Waldichuk (SP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. J. Gray (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. D. Herz (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

Philadelphia Phillies:  T. Banks (RP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. R. Marchan (C) Ten Day IL - Knee. B. Keller (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. J. Rojas (CF) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. A. Garcia (RF) Sixty Day IL - Lat.

“It’s not easy [without them]. But we’ve also had some other guys in our lineup that have swung the bats well and have gotten us to this point with how well our offense has played. Hopefully, this is a short-term thing with James. But at least over the next 10 days, it’s an opportunity for other guys to step up. We need to have the next-man-up mentality.” - Blake Butera after his team’s loss against the Phillies in their game on Tuesday.

“It's not easy what they’re doing, and I think that we all really appreciate their willingness to go out and change positions. I know it's putting pride to the side and just going out and doing whatever it takes for the team, and we couldn't be more thankful for them.” - Jesus Luzardo after their win against the Nationals in their game on Tuesday.

Dylan Crews (R) RF

Andrés Chaparro (R) 1B

Brady House (R) 3B

CJ Abrams (L) DH

Harry Ford (R) C

Jacob Young (R) CF

Daylen Lile (L) LF

Nasim Nuñez (S) SS

Jorbit Vivas (L) 2B

Kyle Schwarber (L) DH

Trea Turner (R) SS

Bryce Harper (L) RF

Luis Arraez (L) 2B

Alec Bohm (R) 1B

J.T. Realmuto (R) C

Brandon Marsh (L) LF

Bryson Stott (L) 3B

Justin Crawford (L) CF

Batting Average:  Abimelec Ortiz (.333)

Hits:  CJ Abrams (119)

Home Runs:  James Wood (30)

RBI:  CJ Abrams (85)

Stolen Bases:  Nasim Nuñez (40)

Wins:  Foster Griffin (12)

Saves:  Clayton Beeter (11)

ERA:  Trevor Williams (0.00)

Batting Average:  Luis Arraez (.500)

Hits:  Trea Turner (115)

Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber (33)

RBI:  Bryce Harper (68)

Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott (19)

Wins:  Cristopher Sánchez (14)

Saves:  Jhoan Duran (25)

ERA:  Bryse Wilson (0.00)

Managers:

Washington Nationals: Blake Butera (1st season)

Philadelphia Phillies: Don Mattingly (Interim)