The Phillies were dealt a significant blow over the weekend as they lost superstar outfielder Bryce Harper to a broken left thumb. There’s never a good time to lose a star player, and as you might expect, Philadelphia’s odds to make the postseason and win the NL pennant took a hit.
The Phillies will have to lean on Nick Castellanos, J.T. Realmuto, and Kyle Schwarber to carry the offense and keep the team in the playoff race until Harper returns in late August. Below, we’ll look at the Phillies’ current odds to make the playoffs, win the NL East, and win the National League pennant.
Betting odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Phillies’ odds to make the playoffs after Bryce Harper injury
Before Harper broke his left thumb on Saturday night, the Phillies’ odds to make the playoffs were at -165 for “No” and +140 for “Yes.” Since then, we’ve seen some movement, as their odds to make the playoffs is at +110 and not to make it at -130. Philadelphia took three out of four games from the Padres over the weekend and is just two games out of the third wild-card spot in the National League.
Philadelphia has a tough end to the first half of the regular season, as it plays the Braves, Cardinals (twice), Nationals, Blue Jays, and Marlins. If the Phils can handle business against Atlanta and St. Louis this week, their odds to make the playoffs will improve to minus-money giving us no value. However, if the Phillies lose both series this week, we could see their odds go back up to +140 or higher. That’s a better time to make a bet.
Phillies’ odds to win the NL East after Bryce Harper injury
With Harper in the lineup, the road to winning the NL East was going to be tough for the Phillies, but without him, their chances are hanging on by a thread.
At the beginning of this month, the Phillies had +900 odds to win the NL East. They now have +1400 odds to win the division. It’s not impossible to think the Phillies can’t make up some ground in the NL East, as they are only eight games out of first place. However, they need to be better than their current 12-16 in division play. The best option is to wait and see how the Phillies fare against the Braves, Nats, and Marlins in the few weeks, but this will probably be a prohibitively risky long-shot bet no matter when you make it.
Phillies’ odds to win the NL pennant after Bryce Harper injury
The good news for the Phillies is that Harper should be back before the season ends, which means he’ll be in the lineup if the team makes the postseason. The Phillies are +1700 odds to win the pennant, which is eighth best in the NL.
Philadelphia will need to make some moves at the trade deadline to improve its odds to win the National League. If this team wants to make the playoffs and ultimately win the pennant, it will come down to the starting pitching and bullpen, which is beginning to figure itself out. However, it would be best to not lay anything down on their NL pennant odds until we see how the Phillies play without Harper over the next few weeks. If they hang around and look to be in a good position to make the playoffs, then a little sprinkle Phillies to win the NL isn’t a bad addition to your portfolio. Their odds will only get worse closer to Harper’s return.
