The Arizona Diamondbacks are back in the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2007 and just the second time in the franchise’s history — a fitting achievement as the club celebrates its 25th anniversary.The Diamondbacks will face the Philadelphia Phillies in the best-of-seven set that begins at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. Check out these picks, predictions and odds for the MLB postseason series, which opens with Game 1 on Monday at 5:07 p.m. All games to be shown on TBS.The Phillies, who are the defending National League champions, are favored to win the series, with BetMGM making Philadelphia -185 moneyline odds to win, and the Diamondbacks +150.The Diamondbacks have won all five of their postseason games so far, sweeping the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in a wild-card series, then doing the same to the Los Angeles Dodgers, champions of the NL West, in the NL Division Series than ended on Wednesday at Chase Field — Arizona’s only home playoff game so far in 2023.The Phillies, who finished second in the NL East to the Atlanta Braves and claimed the No. 1 wild card, took down Atlanta 3 games to 1 in their division series.Here’s a look at how some experts see the series playing out:ESPN: Overwhelming support for Phillies to beat DBacksFrom a panel of 10 experts, nine picked Philadelphia, with just one, David Schoenfield, going with Arizona in seven games. “Nobody is going to pick the Diamondbacks, which underestimates that OF COURSE Arizona has a chance to win, even if Philly has all those vibes going right now. Advice to Diamondbacks players: Don’t say anything about Bryce Harper that could lead to the Phillies wearing T-shirts that mock you in a champagne celebration.” As for the others expecting the Phillies to get back to the World Series, eight think the NLCS goes just five or six games. To sum up their views, we’ll go with Bradford Doolittle: “All of the things that have gotten Arizona to this point — lights-out bullpen, timely power surges at the plate, star players doing star things — are things that the Phillies have in place as well. And Philly has the edge in experience and in general after coming so close to winning it all last season.”CBS Sports: All 6 experts take the Phillies over DBacksHere are excerpts that explain their reasoning: “I just can’t talk myself into the Diamondbacks knocking off this Phillies team when they’re so dependent on two starting pitchers. Maybe it happens, but I don’t think the ingredients are here like they were in the NLDS. I’ll go with the Phillies to repeat as NL champions in six games. … I have to go with the Phillies, who have the deeper lineup and deeper pitching staff, and immaculate vibes. Manager Rob Thomson couldn’t push the wrong button if he tried. The D-backs are a very fun and entertaining team. Ultimately, I think the Phillies are just better right now, so I’m going with them. … I’ve learned my lesson: never bet against the Phillies. The Diamondbacks are a very good club but the Phillies are unstoppable. Is that scientific? Maybe not, but when the baseball gods have so clearly chosen a favorite, what else can we do but sit back and enjoy the ride? … I lean Philly because of the power bats, the high-velocity relievers, and the one-two punch of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. … Much respect to the Chaos Snakes, who absolutely bullied the Dodgers in the NLDS. These Phillies present a different challenge. … The Diamondbacks are a fun team and I love that they stuck with Torey Lovullo after losing 110 games in his fifth season when so many other teams would have fired him, but I have a hunch the run is over. The Phillies are built for a deep playoff run and it’s going to happen now that they’ve dispatched the Braves.”The Athletic: Two views, one picking DBacks, one PhilliesSam Blum writes: “The Diamondbacks started this postseason as a heavy underdog. But five games later they look like, perhaps, the most dangerous team in the entire field. The offense that was such a question mark forced Dodgers starting pitching to toss a total of just 4 2/3 innings over the three-game series. … That’s to say nothing of their pitching — led by aces (Zac) Gallen and (Merrill) Kelly. Each will get to pitch at least twice in the NLCS. (Brandon) Pfaadt threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Wednesday’s clincher. Anything close to that in the next round, and Arizona will have a great chance to advance. They’re seeking their first World Series in 22 years. It’s starting to feel more realistic by the day. … The Phillies will have a strong home-field advantage. That has proven to be a postseason calling card over the last couple seasons. But at the end of the day, these are two fairly evenly matched teams. … Both clubs are playing above the level they did during the regular season. Everyone believed this would be Atlanta and Los Angeles, a heavyweight rematch of the 2021 Championship Series. Instead, two underdogs will be fighting for a spot in the World Series. The Diamondbacks will be well-rested. They’ll be confident. And they’ll be playing with nothing to lose. That’s a dangerous mixture this time of year.”Counters Matt Gelb: “There were many reasons why it benefited the Phillies to dispatch the Braves in four games — the obvious was to avoid a Game 5 in Atlanta. But, just as the Phillies did on their run to the National League pennant a season ago, their tidy work allows them to arrange their pitching for the next series. That means Wheeler then Nola at home to begin this NLCS. Arizona has aligned its pitching too and, no doubt, in a five-game series the margin between these two teams might be slim. But, in a seven-game format, the better roster has a greater edge. And the Phillies have that. Their 19 best players — nine batters and 10 pitchers — are better than the Diamondbacks’. And, while Arizona poses a real threat because they are athletic and catch the baseball and are riding a legitimate wave, the Phillies have power. Phillies relievers have thrown 119 fastballs at 97 mph or harder this postseason. The Marlins and Braves went 5-for-30 in at-bats against Phillies relievers that ended with a 97-plus fastball. All five hits were singles. … Carroll had a .922 OPS against righties in 2023 and a .721 mark against lefties. The Phillies have enough lefty pitchers to ensure Carroll sees one in just about every plate appearance after the sixth inning — if they choose. … It should be an entertaining series; the go-go Diamondbacks are the antithesis of the star-studded Phillies. But the Phillies can point to far more edges over seven games.”Healing process: How the Dbacks helped General Manager Mike Hazen through tragedyThis article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies NLCS picks, predictions

The post Diamondbacks vs. Phillies picks, predictions, odds: Who wins NLCS? appeared first on Raw News.