The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros will go head-to-head on Thursday in a Crucial Game 5.
This World Series has not disappointed so far, with both teams swapping wins up to this point.
The Phillies kicked off their 3-game homestand with a victory, but Houston roared back in a major way last night. The Astros not only won Game 4, but they no-hit the Phillies in the process.
One of the Best MLB Matchups
This has certainly been one of the best MLB matchups of the entire postseason. First pitch is scheduled for 8:03 PM EST on Thursday, November 3rd at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.
Let’s take a look at the Phillies vs Astros odds for this game.
Phillies vs. Astros Odds
The Astros enter this game as a favorite according to most sportsbooks. But the Phillies odds of winning are still fairly decent.
Philadelphia has demonstrated the ability to hang tight with the astros without question.
The disparity in projects is understandable, given that the Astros were one of the best teams in the MLB standings all season long, while Philadelphia narrowly snuck into the playoffs.
But in the end, Philadelphia believes they can pull off yet another upset. Let’s take a closer look at the Phillies vs Astros odds.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros Betting Preview
Starting Pitchers
Justin Verlander
When Justin Verlander is the scheduled starting pitcher, it typically provides a sense of calmness and confidence. Unfortunately, that may not be the case at the moment for Dusty Baker and the Astros.
After posting a remarkable regular season for Houston, Verlander has hit a difficult patch of outings in the postseason.
He surrendered six earned runs in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Mariners over just four innings.
Astros’ Offense
The Astros’ offense ultimately saved him by coming back and winning the game, but Verlander certainly did not have his best stuff.
Verlander rebounded with a dominant ALCS performance against the Yankees, striking out 11 over six innings while allowing just one earned run.
But he surrendered five earned runs to the Phillies in the Astros’ Game 1 loss in the World Series. So one has to wonder what Verlander has in store for Game 5.
Can He Keep the Pattern Going and Produce a Quality Outing on Thursday?
The Astros stats from an offense perspective suggest they will provide him with run support. So it will be up to Verlander to get the job done on the mound.
Noah Syndergaard
The Phillies enter Thursday with the narrative surrounding their offense. They were no-hit on Wednesday after producing no shortage of offense in Game 3.
Their offense should be able to rebound, as they feature depth and have one of the best MLB players in Bryce Harper.
But pitching is still important and Noah Syndergaard will get the ball on Thursday. Syndergaard had a decent season between the Angels and Phillies.
Number of Solid Starts
He did not dominate as he did early in his career, but he still provided a number of solid starts.
The right-hander has been sharp so far in the postseason, posting an ERA of under two. He’s had one start and two relief appearances, allowing just one earned run during that time frame.
He also has not pitched more than three innings in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how stretched out he is for this game. Unless he keeps his pitch count low early on, this may end up being a fairly short start.
In the end, trusting the Phillies’ pitching is fairly difficult at the moment, so the offense will need to get back on track in Game 5.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros Betting Preview
With not much action on the MLB injury report for either side, Houston and Philadelphia are locked and loaded for Game 5.
But after reviewing the Phillies vs Astros odds, which of these teams should you place your money on for Thursday’s important Game 5 affair?
The Phillies are viewing this as a must-win game. They do not want to go back to Houston trailing 3-2 in the series. As a result, they may come out with a bit more fire.
Who to Bet On?
And the fact is that Justin Verlander hasn’t been very trustworthy this postseason. I do expect Verlander to turn in a decent outing, but the Phillies are the pick to click for this contest.
Go ahead and roll with the Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 in Game 5 of the World Series in what promises to be another absolutely electric bout.
MLB Pick: +1.5 (-130)
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