The annual MLB All-Star Week is upon us, with this year’s edition being held in Philadelphia.

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia hosts both the Home Run Derby (Monday, July 13 US time) and the All-Star Game (Tuesday, July 14 US time), returning the Midsummer Classic to a known hitter’s park with short porches and friendly dimensions for left-handed power.

Quick Picks

Our pick: National League to win

Value bet: Over in the game total runs market

Long shot: MVP will be either one of the middle‑order bats or an early reliever

Betting Preview

The Derby follows the modern timed format (three rounds, eight hitters, bonus time for long homers), which tends to reward guys with high launch, repeatable swings, and conditioning rather than pure max-effort hackers.

The weather in mid-July in Philly is typically warm and humid, which generally helps carry the ball and supports an offensive tilt.

Players with elite game power, strong pull percentage, and a swing that holds up under fatigue are likely to do well in this event, given the ballpark’s layout.

Batters to have been confirmed so far include:

• Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero
• New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice
• Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone
• Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras

Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper could also be involved.

In the All-Star Game, early roster indications suggest it could be a battle between a side with a long list of hitters and a team with a pitcher bias. The National League carries high-impact batters, whereas the American League team is slightly skewed with high‑end starting pitchers.

With Citizens Bank Park favouring offence and managers likely to cycle through many pitchers for short stints, offensive depth can matter more than top‑end rotation talent.

Six Phillies stars are involved in this game: Cristopher Sánchez, Schwarber, Harper, Brandon Marsh, Jhoan Duran, and Jesús Luzardo, as are Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers), Paul Skenes (Pirates), Louie Varland (Blue Jays), and Justin Verlander (Tigers) are among the starting pitchers for their respective teams.

Betting Markets to Watch

When it comes to the betting markets, it could be wise to keep an eye on the NL team across the All-Star Week, given the batting quality that they are likely to have when they step up to the plate.

As noted, the ground is favourable to offence, and with players capable of big hits on the NL team, they look the most likely to edge this game.

Additionally, they could feature multiple potential NL starters and reserves from the Philadelphia Phillies in their squad, which could come into play and significantly affect the outcomes of the two events.

The game total market could offer some value if the weather and confirmed lineups are power‑heavy.

The warm July conditions, plus short porches, can drive upside in scoring, which may mean there is better value in the over rather than in the under.

Our Prediction

Check the latest MLB betting odds at Sportsbet.

Our main prediction is that the National League will likely beat the American League, as they appear to have an advantage in terms of power hitting and home-field advantage regarding those who play for the Phillies.

A long shot is that the MVP will be either a middle‑order bat or an early reliever. They often see the highest-leverage plate appearances and innings.