The 2021 World Series is here and features a pair of division winners, one looking to cement their dynasty with a second title and the other looking to win for the first time in 36 years.
The American League champion Houston Astros have the home-field advantage in the series against the National League champion Atlanta Braves. Game 1 is scheduled for 8:08 pm. ET on Tuesday from Minute Maid Park in Houston, and the World Series will be televised by FOX.
The Astros won the World Series in 2017 and are in the Fall Classic for the third time in five years. Meanwhile, the Braves last won a title in 1995 and last played in the World Series in 1999. Charlie Morton gets the ball for Atlanta in the opener while Houston turns to Framber Valdez.
Braves Bats Carrying Team in Playoffs
The Braves have been underdogs all season, languishing under .500 during the summer when they lost All-Star Ronald Acuna Jr. to a knee injury. They rallied past the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies to win the NL East and then upset both the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs. In fact, the Braves finished the season with just 88 wins, the least of all ten playoff qualifiers, but here they are in the World Series.
It hasn’t been all 2020 MVP Freddie Freeman either. Eddie Rosario, picked up in-season, was the NLCS MVP, and Austin Riley has been clutch all season as a bonafide MVP candidate. Rosario is hitting .474 in the playoffs with three homers, while Freeman and Joc Pederson also have three homers thus far in October.
Morton was a key part of the Astros championship team in 2017 and helped the Tampa Bay Rays to last year’s World Series. This year with the Braves, he was 14-6 in the regular season and has gone 0-1 with a 3.77 in three playoff starts this season. Last time out, he allowed two runs on three hits over five innings against the Dodgers while striking out five and uncharacteristically walking six.
The bullpen has been great for the Braves in October. Tyler Matzek has pitched nine times with a 1.84 ERA, and Will Smith hasn’t allowed a run in seven appearances. A.J. Minter and Jesse Chavez also have 0.00 ERA’s in five outings each.
Astros Bullpen is Lock Down
After being down 2-1 to the Boston Red Sox, the Astros scored 23 runs in the final three games while allowing just three total. Houston won 95 games in the regular season and led the Majors with 863 runs scored, and their 205 run differential tied for the AL lead.
Yordan Alvarez had a fantastic ALCS, winning the MVP with a .522 average and six RBI. He has three straight multi-hit games and is batting .441 in the playoffs. Yuli Gurriel is batting .333 in the playoffs with Michael Brantley at .311, while Kyle Tucker has four home runs to go with 15 RBI.
Valdez has 13 strikeouts in 15 innings this postseason while going 1-0 with a 4.20 ERA in three starts. In his last outing against Boston, he allowed one run on three hits over eight innings to win Game 5. Valdez struck out six and walked one in that outing while throwing 76 pitches.
Ryan Pressly has one postseason save to go with a 1.50 ERA in six outings. Ryne Stanek (1.35), Phil Maton (1.35), Kendall Graveman (1.29), and Christian Javier (0.00) have also posted sub 2.00 ERA’s in the playoffs.
Betting Analysis
- Atlanta Braves +1.5 run line (-180). +115 Money line
- Houston Astros -1.5 run line (+155). -135 Money line
- Run Total: 8. Over -115. Under -105
The Astros offense and bullpen probably have the advantage while the Braves enter the series with the starting pitching. Morton has plenty of big stage experience with 16 playoff outings and three World Series appearances. Valdez was great in his last outing but was hit around in his other two playoff starts, making early runs extra valuable in this one.
Betting Pick: Braves Win (+115)
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