The opening match of the National League Championship Series sees the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Phillies have a home-field advantage and are also the -160 betting favorites to win match one. The Diamondbacks (+147) are on a five-match winning streak and come into the NLCS full of confidence. In our latest MLB betting picks, we look at Arizona’s chances of pulling off another shock against last year’s World Series runners-up.
The Philadelphia Phillies take their place in the National League Championship Series for the second successive year. The Diamondbacks are here for the first time since 2007.
Twelve months ago Philadelphia defeated the Padres 4-1 to make it to the World Series, where they came up short against the Houston Astros. As for Arizona, they lost 4-0 to the Colorado Rockies the last time they reached this stage in 2007. The last time they won an NLCS was in 2001 when Bob Brenly led the Diamondbacks to their only-ever World Series win.
If the Diamondbacks are to repeat the glories of 2001, they will need to prove the best MLB Postseason betting sites wrong again. The bookmakers are making the Phillies favorites to win the series at -200, with the Diamondbacks +170. But as the Dodgers just discovered, the betting odds don’t mean anything to Arizona.
Only four franchises remain in the hunt to win the 2023 World Series. Yes, after four crazy Division Series matchups, we are left with the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Astros (+190) are the defending champions and the favorites to win again and go back-to-back. The Phillies are next at +200, with the Texas Rangers at +290 and the Diamondbacks the outsiders at +475.
For a repeat of last year’s World Series, BetOnline is offering +160 for the Astros and the Phillies to make the final again this year.
The Phillies go into the opening match as the betting favorites with the best MLB betting sites. Philadelphia is -160 to win on the money line. The Diamondbacks are +147.
On the handicap spread, the Diamondbacks (-150) are the favorites to win with the 1.5-point start. The Phillies are +130 to win and cover the spread. Finally, over 7.5 points is -105, and under is -115.
More odds are available on our MLB betting table. Please visit our best online sportsbook reviews page for more information about the sites we have used for our odds.
| Phillies vs. Diamondbacks Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillies | -160 | -160 | -160 |
| Diamondbacks | +147 | +147 | +147 |
| Phillies (-1.5) | +130 | +130 | +130 |
| Diamondbacks (+1.5) | -150 | -150 | -150 |
| Over 7.5 | -105 | -105 | -105 |
| Under 7.5 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
Philadelphia has overcome the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves to make it to the NLCS. The 2-0 Wild Card series win over the Marlins was fairly routine, but the win over the Braves was sensational.
The Phillies got off to a flying start by winning the opening match at Truist Park 3-0, immediately wiping out home advantage for Atlanta. The Braves fought back to level the series at 1-1 before it switched to Citizens Bank Park for matches three and four.
The Phillies were simply too strong for the Braves in the third and fourth matches, winning them 10-2 and 3-1 to advance to the NLCS.
The Dodgers have flattered to deceive in the postseason for the last three seasons. As the World Series defending champions in 2021, they lost 4-2 to the Braves in the NLCS. Then in 2022, they lost 3-1 to the Padres in the NLDS. Now in 2023, they were swept 3-0 by the Diamondbacks in what was a stunning upset.
From the moment the Diamondbacks won 11-2 at Dodgers Stadium in the opening match, it was an uphill task for Dave Roberts’ team. Back-to-back 4-2 wins, the first in LA, the second in Arizona, saw the Diamondbacks shock the Baseball world and take their place in the NLCS for the first time in 16 years.
Wow, what a match-up, and what a choice to make to try and call a winner in this game. A few weeks ago it would be an easy call to choose Philadelphia. But after the Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers, how can we write them off?
The performances of Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez for the Phillies and Geraldo Perdomo and Andrew Saalfrank for the Diamondbacks could be what separates the two franchises. Big performances from big players can decide tight matches and championships.
Whoever produces the goods on the night, will probably win the match for their team.
For our picks, we are going with the Diamondbacks to keep their winning run going. They are good odds at +147, and although we usually stick with the tried and tested in big matches, we are prepared to make Arizona our pick to win the opening match.
We also feel this could be a high-scoring match and are happy to back over 7.5 total points at -105.
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About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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