Phillies vs. Nationals Preview: Odds, Pitching Matchup and Props for Aug. 4

The Philadelphia Phillies will try to extend their three game winning streak when they take the field against the Washington Nationals at 6:40 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2026. Despite a miserable stretch out of the All-Star Break, the Phillies (60-53) managed to right the ship against struggling teams like the Orioles and Nationals (55-59), the latter of whom is amidst a six game losing streak.

Fans can tune in to NBC Sports Philadelphia as the home team attempts to continue recent trends.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Washington Nationals +257 / Philadelphia Phillies -277
• Run Line: Washington Nationals +1.5 (+113) / Philadelphia Phillies -1.5 (-136)
• Over/Under: 9 (Over -103 / Under -117)

Weather

Expect temperate conditions in Philadelphia tonight with a first-pitch temperature around 85 degrees. Humidity will trend up from 55 percent to 75 percent over the course of the game in anticipation of storms forecast on Aug. 5, while a 6-to-12 mile per hour cross breeze shouldn’t play an undue role on how the ball flies.

Pitching Matchup

The Nationals will send left-hander Carson Palmquist (7.31 ERA, 16 innings pitched, 8.44 K/9 and 1.63 WHIP) to the mound as an opener for righty Zack Littell (4.94 ERA, 105.2 innings pitched, 5.79 K/9 and 1.34 WHIP). Their counterpart, Phillies’ left-hander Jesús Luzardo (3.57 ERA, 128.2 innings pitched, 10.98 K/9 and 1.19 WHIP), endured a six-run shelling his last time out but has provided an excellent overall presence in the rotation this season.

Largely serving as the Nationals’ opener, Palmquist boasts season-best marks of 58 pitches thrown and three innings pitched. His swing-and-miss stuff — in contrast with Littell’s contact-oriented approach — won’t be in play for Washington all night, but a wide range of potential outcomes should make for an intriguing prop bet market.

Phillies vs. Zack Littell

The Phillies boast a 17-for-58 (.293 batting average) career mark against Littell, but the Nationals’ righty has done a solid job of managing hard contact. Justin Crawford (2-for-4 with a double), Trea Turner (3-for-8 with a double), Kyle Schwarber (1-for-3 with a homer) and Edmundo Sosa (2-for-4 with a homer) logged extra-base hits against Littell on the way to a team OPS of .780.

Those numbers jump to a .346 batting average (9-for-26) and a 1.049 OPS against Palmquist, with homers from Turner and Bryce Harper leading the way. Harper has struggled against Littell, on the other hand, going 0-for-6.

Props

Starting on the mound, Jesús Luzardo’s strikeout total is set at 7.5, with the over given favorable odds at -112. Nationals’ batters hold an 18-for-67 (.269 batting average) lifetime mark against Luzardo with 27 strikeouts, so existing trends make him an excellent pick to hit the over.

At the plate, Turner presents an intriguing option to eclipse 1.5 total bases at -104 odds. Schwarber, as always, stands as the most likely player to go deep in this contest, carrying +153 odds to hit a home run.

Tidbits

• Despite their current rough patch, the Nationals have been a solid bet on the road overall this year, accumulating a 32-25 (.561) record in away games; the Phillies have struggled to a disappointing 29-27 mark at home.