Following last night's rainout, game three of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies will now be Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes an Astros-Phillies prediction and pick, laid out below.
Houston rebounded in game two to coast to a 5-2 victory. In game one, Houston jumped out to a 5-0 lead before surrendering the lead in a 6-5 extra innings loss. Offense has been the story for Houston so far, and the starting pitching was fantastic in game two.
Philadelphia benefits greatly from the rainout, lining up their starting rotation in a better position. Game one, the team's first World Series game since 2009, was a thrilling comeback victory, while game two was a wash from the beginning. Expect a strong fan presence for the first World Series game in Philadelphia since 2009.
Here are the Astros-Phillies MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
World Series Odds: Astros-Phillies Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+130)
Philadelphia Phillies: +1.5 (-156)
Over: 7.5 (-122)
Under: 7.5 (+100)
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Lance McCullers will make his third start of the postseason in this one. McCullers has pitched to a 2.45 ERA in eleven innings, striking out thirteen batters. Following an industry-wide trend, McCullers' fastball usage is way down, spotlighting his exceptional breaking balls. Opposing hitters managed a measly .155 combined batting average against McCullers' slider and curveball. Houston's bullpen has been great all season, and this postseason has brought their dominance to center stage. Houston's bullpen leads the league with a 0.89 postseason ERA, striking out 50 batters in 40.2 innings. Bryan Abreu has not allowed a run in eight innings, registering thirteen strikeouts. Closer Ryan Pressley has also shutout opponents, with 7.1 scoreless innings and ten strikeouts, with four saves. Before the World Series, Houston added lefty Will Smith to the roster, the first lefty in the bullpen for Houston this postseason.
Alex Bregman has been dominant in the postseason, slashing .316/.366/.632 with three home runs and three doubles in nine games. Yuli Gurriel has extended his postseason strikeout-less streak to 39 plate appearances, hitting an impressive .342 with two home runs. Jeremy Pena and Kyle Tucker are each tied with Bregman for the team lead with three home runs. Pena leads the team with five doubles, proving himself a worthy replacement to Carlos Correa. What should be scary for Philadelphia fans is the rather underwhelming performances of both Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve. While Alvarez does have two home runs and a .364 on-base percentage, teams are opting to largely pitch around the hulking slugger, evidenced by his .222 batting average. Altuve has gotten hot of late, but is still hitting just .171 with only two extra-base hits. Houston is hitting .231 with 15 home runs in total.
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
Ranger Suarez will take the ball in this one, with Rob Thompson opting for the lefty rather than Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard is now available out of the bullpen, with the possibility of starting game five. Suarez has pitched in four games this postseason, making two starts. In those 9.2 innings, Suarez has pitched to a 1.86 ERA, going 1-0 with a save and striking out nine batters. Opponents have hit just .167 against Suarez in the postseason. Philadelphia's bullpen has been much improved this postseason, posting a 2.65 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 51 innings. Seranthony Dominguez has broken out, pitching to a 0.96 in 9.1 innings, striking out 18 (!!!) without allowing a walk. Closer David Robertson has returned from an embarrassing injury to strike out eight in 4.2 innings, saving one game.
Philadelphia's offense has been highlighted by the long ball. Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins each lead the team with five home runs, while JT Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber have each belted three. Harper has been red-hot this postseason, slashing .392/.426/.804 with six doubles to go along with his five home runs. Somehow, Schwaber leads the team with three stolen bases and has not been caught yet this postseason. Schwarber has also walked eleven times to thirteen strikeouts, bringing his on-base percentage to .386 despite a .214 batting average. Both Harper and Hoskins lead the team with eleven RBI each. Quietly, Alec Bohm has displayed some power this postseason, hitting five doubles and seven RBI, making up for a .200 batting average. Nick Castellanos has displayed some improved defense, and also has driven in seven runs to go along with four doubles. Philadelphia has slugged seventeen home runs this postseason.
Final Astros-Phillies Prediction & Pick
If game three is anything like the first two, this is must watch television. McCullers' breaking balls present a bad matchup for Philadelphia.
Final Astros-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Houston -1.5 (+130), under 7.5 (+100)
Follow Us
Subscribe