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Here we go. Only four teams remain in the hunt to win the 2023 World Series, as we have reached the American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series. There have been plenty of upsets thus far in the postseason, as both the Dodgers and Braves have been eliminated from contention. So, who will win it all? On one side of things, the Phillies are slight favorites over the Diamondbacks in the NLCS.
The Phillies have all the confidence in the world right now, as their pitching staff has lived up to the expectations set on them, while the bats have remained red hot after what they were able to get done in the regular season. We’ve obviously got to bring up the fantastic play of Bryce Harper, as the superstar slugger has been blasting some impressive home runs in recent weeks. Harper is a complete and total stud, no doubt about that. Harper isn’t feeling any pressure right now either.
| MLB NLCS odds |  |  |  |
| Phillies to win | -170 | -170 | -170 |
| D-Backs to win | +145 | +145 | +145 |
| Over 6 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 6 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
“The game, you just go out there and play, you play the same game you’ve been playing your whole life,” Harper said on the ESPN show when talking about handling the bright lights and pressure the Phillies have been facing this season. “The lights might be brighter, there might be 45,000 people in there. But I love that, I’m all about that. I love going on the road and getting booed, I absolutely do.”
With Harper and his teammates playing so well, everyone in Philly is dreaming of this team winning it all. According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Phillies hold -170 MLB betting odds to win the NLCS and move on to the World Series. The Diamondbacks have been placed at +145. The Phillies are riding high right now and we’re confident they’ll move on. We’re going with the NL East side as our pick.
Fightin' every single day to get back to that moment.#RedOctober pic.twitter.com/3HlNJAqu1t
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 16, 2023
Will Bryce Harper finish with the most home runs in the NLCS?
Entering play, will Bryce Harper finish with the most home runs in the NLCS? From our chair, there’s a great chance that Harper will manage to get this done, as he indeed is playing on another level right now. Harper is without question one of the best players of his generation, as he keeps on doing unreal things with the bat in his hands. We saw just how brilliant he was in the NLDS against the Braves.
Going into that series, countless people assumed that the Braves would take down the Phillies and move on. However, the Phillies got things going with a bang, winning Game 1 in dominant fashion. Things only got better for Philly the rest of the way, with Harper and Co. looking amazing. Seriously, no one is going to stop talking about this three-run homer belted by Harper. This is bone-chilling:
There it is. Bryce Harper’s 3-run bomb with no announcers. CBP is a madhouse. pic.twitter.com/XDBl3oLInk
— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) October 11, 2023
Literally everyone at Citizens Bank Park went wild after that blast and understandably so. Harper made incredible contact with the ball, leading to his upper-deck dinger. This is why he’s arguably the best power hitter in the bigs. It’s also a major reason why everyone in Pennsylvania could not be happier that the team went out and landed him a few years ago. Harper is ready to do whatever is needed to help his team move on.
Per the oddsmakers, Harper holds +650 MLB betting odds to hit the most blasts in the NLCS. Right behind him at +700 is Christian Walker, while you’ve also got to make sure to keep a close eye on Kyle Schwarber, Corbin Carroll and others. Harper is pretty much viewed as the Lebron James of baseball right now, which is bad news for the Diamondbacks and their pitchers. We’re going with Harper as our pick to hit the most homers.
Phillies hold the best odds of winning the World Series
With the way they’re playing, it’s no surprise at all that the Phillies hold the best odds of winning the World Series. Should the Phillies take down the Diamondbacks and move on, they would then face either the Texas Rangers or the Houston Astros with the title on the line. The Astros and Rangers are facing off in the ALCS and we could see things go a full seven games there. These AL West rivals match up pretty evenly, making this an interesting series.
The Astros won the World Series last year and they’re hoping to repeat, but it looks like slugger Yordan Alvarez is dealing with an illness. The hope is that this won’t hinder his ability to make head-turning plays during the series. The Rangers have been the surprise team of the year, no question, and they have what it takes to not only beat Houston in the ALCS, but also to make things interesting for Philly if these two teams end up facing off.
Regardless of what happens, though, something tells us that this is going to be a year to remember for the Phillies. With their great pitching and hitting, they have what it takes to make their dreams come true. It won’t be easy, but we think the Phillies will be the champs when it’s all said and done.
