The Fall Classic is upon us as the Philadelphia Phillies take on the Houston Astros for a best-of-seven-game series! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Phillies-Astros series prediction and pick.
The Phillies are coming off of a huge performance against the San Diego Padres in the NLCS. In what was the first-ever 5-6 seed NLCS battle, the Phillies also become the first 6-seed to advance to the World Series. Not many predicted this team to be in this spot, but they got hot at the right time and took down three good teams to get here. In fact, the Phillies are the only team to beat the Astros when they did so during the final series of the regular season.
The Astros are undefeated in the postseason as they took down the New York Yankees in four games last week. This team is well-balanced as they have some of the best pitchers and hitters in the league. Houston is now in the WS once again and they have a very good chance to win their second title in five years.
Here are the Phillies-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
2022 World Series Odds: Phillies-Astros Odds
Philadelphia Phillies: +165
Houston Astros: -190
Why The Phillies Will Win The Series
If you have paid any attention then you know how hot this Phillies' offense is. They faced elite Padres pitching and scored at least four runs in each of the final four games. Bryce Harper and Rhy Hoskins put on a show in the final two games of the series as Hoskins had a two-homer game in Game 4. Bryce Harper pretty much ended the Friar's season when he smashed a go-ahead opposite-field homer in the bottom of the 8th inning of Game 5. He is now batting .419 with five homers and 11 RBIs during the postseason. The 2021 MVP is playing the best baseball of his career and he is four wins away from his first-ever championship.
The rest of the lineup is doing wonders as well. Kyle Schwarber smashed a homer in 3-straight games in the NLCS. J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Juan Segura all showed up as well to show how deep their lineup is. If Nick Castellanos can join in on the fun then that is seven hitters that can really hurt you. It doesn't matter if the Astros pitching shows up because, with the way the Phillies' offense is hitting right now, nobody can stop them.
The pitching is what will concern Philadelphia. Zack Wheeler has been dominant but he is the only starter who is. Aaron Nola will start Game 1, but he allowed six runs in Game 2 of the NLCS. The bullpen has been decent, but right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez is pitching lights out right now. Expect him to be utilized a lot in this WS. If Nola and Wheeler (who likely will go Game 2) can pitch well then that gives the Phillies a great chance.
Why The Astros Will Win The Series
The Astros could very well not lose a single game in this postseason. They have the talent to do so and Justin Verlander will likely be going in Game 1. We saw Verlander not pitch very well against the Seattle Mariners, but Houston was able to come back and win that game. The Astros are showing that no matter what happens during the course of a game, they will find a way to win. Remember the six-seven hour game against the Mariners that resulted in a 1-0 win? Even if the offense doesn't show up, the pitching will. They have a deep rotation and bullpen will try and slow down the Phillies' hot offense.
Yordan Alvarez would be the AL MVP if Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani didn't exist. He put up insane numbers during the regular season and his walk-off home run in Game 1 of the ALDS should submit his case for one of the best hitters on the planet. He was 6th in the MLB in homers with 37 and ended with 97 RBIs. He finished behind Judge in OPS at 1.019 and was 7th in average at .307. The 25-year-old can smash with the best of them and the right-handed pitching from the Phillies must be careful.
The rest of the Astros lineup is very deep. Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Pena, Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel, and Chas McCormick are all showing up. Much like the Phillies, Houston's offense is hitting on all cylinders and is putting it all together at once. It's really tough for opposing pitchers to get through an inning when anyone can make noise at any point in the game. Look for the Astros to continue to get on base and make it tough for the Phillies to keep up.
Final Phillies-Astros Series Prediction & Pick
This will be a fun series and I think the Phillies will give the Astros a run for their money. But, the Astros are too good and are the more experienced team. I have them winning in Game 6 in Houston. Take the Astros to win the 2022 World Series.
Final Phillies-Astros Series Prediction & Pick: Astros -190
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