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It’s WORLD SERIES time! As you may know, I picked the Phillies in the preseason to win the whole kit and caboodle. It’s been such a wild ride for them in 2022, but they 1000% deserve to be here right now in search of their first title since 2008. The only question is, “Will the Astros halt that search?”
Philadelphia Phillies (+165) @ Houston Astros (-195)
I’ll keep this short and sweet. The Phillies were my pick coming into the year because I truly believed with the new acquisitions of Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos would transform their lineup into a juggernaut, and it has. I felt like they were a top-three offense in baseball with an elite 1-2 pitching punch. The biggest question was their bullpen, but that mess has sorted itself out down the stretch.
It’s set up as Aaron Nola vs. Justin Verlander in Game 1 with Zack Wheeler facing Framber Valdez in Game 2. The premise remains the same for Philly, win at least one game in Houston, and go back to your home field at worst in a 1-1 series. Philly needs another major performance from their MVP, Bryce Harper, who has gone nuclear in the playoffs. Batting .419 with five taters and 11 RBIs, he has come up gigantic when his team needed him most. Filling in with a relentless combination of Schwarber, Hoskins, Realmuto, Castellanos, Bohm, and Segura, this team has thrived in October by simply putting the ball in play. Even against one of the best defensive teams in the MLB in Houston, that adage usually works out. Furthermore, the red team will need to get after the pitcher early to put pressure on them.
Pitching-wise, the starters have to continue to keep their team in the game, as they have largely done. And the bullpen needs to keep runners off the base paths. The Astros possess one of the best offenses in the game themselves, so even the slightest mistakes have proved to be dooming for their opponents.
At the end of the day, Philly is a team of destiny, and as much as Dusty Baker deserves a ring, it just does not seem like it’s their year. Regardless of the 7-0 postseason prowess of Houston, their play does not accurately reflect their record in my book. I’m expecting this to go the full seven games with the Phillies hoisting it up at the finale.
Prediction: Phillies win series
Prediction: Bryce Harper MVP (+480)
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Philadelphia Phillies (+142) @ Houston Astros (-168) | Over/Under 6.5
Game 1 is set to be a doozy. On one hand, you have a first-ballot future HOF in Justin Verlander, and on the other is Aaron Nola. Game 1’s have always been so pivotal since those winners go on to take the series about 64% of the time. Here’s what I expect…
The Astros deliver tonight. Despite Verlander’s horrendous track record in his World Series outings (0-6, 5.68 ERA), Houston is set up better at home. Once JV gets himself into a groove, he is tough to disrupt, so if you are the Phillies, you need to get after him within the first two innings or you may not do so at all. The Phillies still have some swing-and-miss in that lineup, especially with guys like Schwarber, Castellanos, Bohm etc. My prediction is Verlander goes six innings and allows three runs while striking out nine.
Aaron Nola has been great this year. I won’t hold that disaster finish against San Diego in Game 2 when he was gifted an early 4-0 lead. However, he is historically a guy that does not fare well the second and third time through the order. Throughout his career, he has allowed a 4.82 ERA and .245 average at that point, which is by far worse than his first and second time through the lineup. Additionally, my main issue with him is he has the tendency to have bad pitch selection, location, and sequencing during an at-bat, which propels him to unravel at times. He seems like a candidate that is good for five innings of three run ball this evening along with seven punchies. He will keep his team in the game, but it’s up to the offense to deliver.
Prediction: Astros -1 (-120)
Prediction: Nola O5.5 K’s (-132)
Prediction: Verlander O6.5 K’s (+112)
Fantasy football guru Matthew Berry has joined the team and his two shows have you covered all season long. Spend weekdays at noon with the Fantasy Football Happy Hour and then, every Sunday at 11am getting ready for kickoff with the Fantasy Football Pregame. Watch both shows live on Peacock and catch replays for the weekday show on the NFL on NBC YouTube channel.
