No team in the National League is hotter than Philadelphia right now. The Phillies (17-20), since firing manager Rob Thomson, have reeled off eight wins over their last nine games. Now, they’ll attempt to complete a series sweep on Thursday. That may not be easy against the Athletics (18-18) and their dangerous lineup. Can the AL West leaders earn a road upset tonight?

The Phillies are favorites (-131) over the Athletics, with the over/under set at nine runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Thursday’s showdown between the A’s and Philadelphia on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Athletics vs. Phillies prediction, preview

For the visitors, it’ll be J.T. Ginn toeing the slab at Citizens Bank Park. Through eight appearances this season (five starts), the right-hander has posted a 4.30 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 23 strikeouts. However, those numbers are somewhat deceiving. Few pitchers in all of baseball have more dramatic home/away splits. Since 2025, Ginn has a whopping 7.07 ERA over 17 outings at Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park. In comparison, he has a stellar 2.73 road ERA during that time. Among those with at least 100.0 innings pitched since 2025, the third-year pro’s 51.5% ground ball rate ranks tenth.

It helps on the mound when there’s a top notch offense supporting you. Last season, the A’s were among the sport’s best lineups, buoyed by several standout power hitters. That hasn’t led to amazing results in 2026; the team is 21st in baseball with 153 runs scored. Regardless, it’s likely a matter of time until this group gets back into the swing of things. Shea Langeliers (178 wRC+) and Nick Kurtz (138 wRC+) have gotten off to a good start. It’s worth noting that the latter is slashing .321/.406/.799 over his last ten games. However, fellow youngsters Tyler Soderstrom (99 wRC+) and Jacob Wilson (90 wRC+) have disappointed thus far. The Athletics have scored four combined runs during the first two games of this series.

Philadelphia will hope to continue its recent pitching success tonight with Andrew Painter. The former top prospect has been up and down to start his major league tenure. Despite flashes of greatness, the rookie is on the hook for a 5.28 ERA, 1.59 WHIP and 11.5 H/9. However, a 4.02 expected ERA hints at some positive regression in the near future. Painter has been eerily similar to Ginn, albeit with a much smaller sample size. He owns a 3.14 ERA over three games at home and a 7.36 ERA during three road starts.

A Phillies lineup stacked with big names has struggled for most of the season. However, this collection of high-priced sluggers are finally starting to wake up. They’ve scored 47 runs over their last ten games, ninth-most in baseball during that stretch. It hasn’t just been All-Stars carrying the load for Philadelphia recently. Brandon Marsh (1.089 OPS), Bryson Stott (.823 OPS) and Justin Crawford (.809 OPS) have impressed as well. Ginn relies heavily on his sinker (35%); the Phillies have a .267 expected batting average against that pitch.

Athletics vs. Phillies pick, best bet

Ginn is better than his numbers might suggest. With that being said, this is a difficult spot for almost anyone. The Phillies are finally rounding into form, looking the part of a World Series contender. Painter is also a capable hurler, and has shown promise at various points this season. The Athletics are only scoring 3.60 runs per game on the road, fourth-worst in the majors. That’s not very promising against a red-hot Philadelphia squad.

Best Bet: Phillies ML (-131)