Dodgers vs. Phillies Predictions, Picks, Odds & Starting Pitchers: Today, 4/5

After stealing the hearts from the Atlanta Braves in their last series, the Los Angeles Dodgers headed north to take on another NL East team - the Philadelphia Phillies. After last night’s series opener, we’ve got a late afternoon matchup today at 4:05 PM ET, and we’ve got our Dodgers vs. Phillies predictions for you.
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Dodgers vs. Phillies Predictions For MLB on FS1, 4/5
This Dodgers vs. Phillies series got started last night, and with how it’s continuing today, it’s the perfect illustration of a Japanese majority in terms of LA’s starting rotation. After seeing the unicorn that is Shohei Ohtani instantly pay dividends, the team snagged Yoshinobu Yamamoto - last night’s starter - out of Japan.
Then, just this past January, they grabbed Roki Sasaki from Japan as well, who is today’s starter. With Clayton Kershaw injured, those three make up the majority of the Dodgers’ starting five, and this will already be Sasaki’s third start of the season since they began things early in his home country against the Chicago Cubs.
Countering him will be Philly starter Aaron Nola, who is very familiar with the Dodgers lineup; he’s faced them twice every year since 2022. There have been mixed results, but as for the best bet from our Dodgers vs. Phillies predictions, we’re actually going to be focusing on Philly’s lineup instead.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Historic Streak Snapped
All the buzz surrounding the Dodgers to start the year was their 8-0 start. After sweeping the Chicago Cubs over in Japan, they swept the Detroit Tigers and Braves, which already had analysts saying that LA may end up being the best MLB team in history. That sounds crazy to say eight games into a 162-game season, but they are loaded for sure.
Regardless, it was former Dodger Trea Turner that scored on a throwing error when stealing in the bottom of the first inning, and Philly never looked back. Well, there was no scoring after that until the bottom of the seventh inning. Either way, the Dodgers were the first defending World Series champions to start 8-0, but that streak has finally come to an end.
Philadelphia Phillies: A Lineup To Rival LA
While all the talk has been about the Dodgers undefeated start to the season, and rightfully so, the Phillies haven’t been chopped liver either. Bashing the Braves has been the preferred discussion when it comes to the NL East, but the 5-1 start for the Phillies is their best since 2021.
Of course, Philly also made the World Series the following year in 2022, so it’s safe to say that the Phillies have been contenders for the Dodgers in the NL for several years now. The likes of Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper added to the lineup have certainly been major factors in that, and of course, the aforementioned Trea Turner!
How To Watch Dodgers vs. Phillies Today
We noted that today’s matchup is a late afternoon one right from the start, and you can see more about how to watch Dodgers vs. Phillies today below:
- Where: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- When: 4:05 PM ET on 4/5
- Watch on TV: FS1
- Where to stream: MLB.TV, SlingTV, YouTube TV
Dodgers vs. Phillies Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Our best bet takes a unique approach to the player prop markets, so before we fully dive in, here are the Dodgers vs. Phillies odds at Novig for the standard markets
- Run Line: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+145) vs. Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 (-175)
- Money Line: Los Angeles Dodgers (-110) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (-11-)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 8.5 (-115) vs. Under 8.5 (-105)
Dodgers vs. Phillies Best Bet: Kyle Schwarber Over 0.5 Walks (+105 at Novig)
We said that the best bet from our Dodgers vs. Phillies predictions would be focused on Philly’s lineup, but we’d bet that it’s not quite what you expected. As popular as it is to pick a Bryce Harper total bases prop or Kyle Schwarber to hit a home run, we’re going to go with the latter in a different way.
We’re excited to see how Trea Turner performs against his former team, and we expect him to have a base runner to knock in at the very least. That’s because leadoff man Kyle Schwarber is one of the most walked hitters in all of baseball. Last season, Schwarber ended the year with 106 walks, which was the third-most in the MLB.
Four of those came in six games against the Dodgers, and given that he also racked up 10 hits in those games, we expect that they won’t exactly be excited to give him pitches to hit. Now, onto the other side of the matchup.
Dodgers new starter Roki Sasaki has not exactly proven himself as the gem that Shohei Ohtani did right out of the gates. Of course, it’s still very early, but in his two starts this season, he’s pitched just 1.2 and three innings in them, accumulating just five strikeouts along the way. However, it’s not just his short outings that are concerning.
Despite hardly being on the mound at all, Sasaki allowed four and five walks in those two starts! Even if it’s a short outing again, we know that Schwarber is up right off the bat, so this could cash seconds into the game!
In hopes for a nice, early payout, the best bet from our Dodgers vs. Phillies predictions is on Kyle Schwarber to record a walk (+105 at Novig).
Dodgers vs. Phillies Injury Report & Starting Pitchers
When it comes to Dodgers vs. Phillies injury news, we’d be remiss to omit Shohei Ohtani, even though he’s in the lineup. Of course, that’s because we’re still waiting for his return to the mound. Speaking of the mound, the Dodgers will have Clayton Kershaw on the injured list for quite some time still.
As for Dodgers vs. Phillies injury news in Philly, their most notable absence is that of starter Ranger Suarez, who is a strong lefty for them. Let’s use that to transition to the Dodgers vs. Phillies starters for today:
- Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher today: Roki Sasaki (0-0, 5.79 ERA)
- Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher today: Aaron Nola (0-1, 8.44 ERA)
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Player News
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