Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros take on Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday evening. The AL and NL champions meet in Game 1 of the 2022 World Series, with Minute Maid Park hosting the game in Houston. Philadelphia entered the postseason with 87 wins before catching fire in upset series victories over the Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres. Houston won 106 games, most in the MLB, and the Astros are 7-0 in postseason action after sweeping the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees.
First pitch is at 8:03 p.m. ET in Houston. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Astros as -170 favorites (risk $170 to win $100) on the money line, while the over/under, or total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, is 6.5 in the latest Phillies vs. Astros odds. Before making any Astros vs. Phillies picks or World Series Game 1 predictions, see what SportsLine expert Allie O'Neill has to say.
O'Neill was pursuing her biochemical engineering degree when she started betting MLB and NHL sides, totals and props. Through predictive modeling and data mining, she created algorithms that quickly made her successful in both sports. Allie loves the analytics of sports betting and constantly is trying to apply advanced metrics to get an edge. She's also gone a whopping 22-7 in her last 29 money-line MLB picks, returning more than $1,300 to bettors.
Now, O'Neill has set her sights on Astros vs. Phillies. You can head to SportsLine to see her picks. Here are several MLB betting lines and trends for Phillies vs. Astros:
- Phillies vs. Astros money line: Philadelphia +143, Houston -170
- Phillies vs. Astros over-under: 6.5 runs
- Phillies vs. Astros run line: Houston -1.5 (+140)
- PHI: The Phillies are 44-43 on the road this season
- HOU: The Astros are 59-26 at home this season
- Phillies vs. Astros picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Phillies
Philadelphia is a powerful offensive team, and that is on full display in the playoffs. The Phillies were in the top three of the National League in slugging percentage (.422) and total bases during the regular season, and Philadelphia has 16 home runs and 23 doubles in 11 playoff games. Philadelphia leads the 2022 MLB playoffs with a .442 slugging percentage, and the Phillies posted top-five regular season marks in hits, home runs, runs scored, batting average, OPS and on-base percentage.
Kyle Schwarber led the National League with 46 home runs during the regular season, and he has a 1.442 OPS in the last seven playoff games. In addition, Bryce Harper is a two-time MVP with a .419/444/.907 slash line during the playoffs, and he has five home runs and six doubles in 11 postseason contests. Philadelphia's bullpen is also strong, producing a 3.19 ERA in 42.1 playoff innings, and the Phillies can lean on Nola as an elite starting pitching option after he had a WHIP of 0.96 in the regular season, ranking seventh in Major League Baseball.
Why you should back the Astros
Houston's offense is potent and balanced. The Astros were in the top two of the American League in home runs and strikeout avoidance, with top-three marks in runs scored, walks, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases. Houston was also in the top five of the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and doubles, and Yordan Alvarez is one of the game's best hitters. He produced a .306/.406/.613 slash line with 37 home runs and 29 doubles during the regular season, and Alvarez has a .977 OPS in the last two postseasons combined.
On the pitching side, Verlander was the best pitcher in the AL this season, leading the league with a 1.75 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in 2022. He was even better at home with a 1.64 ERA at Minute Maid Park, and Verlander navigated six innings with only one run and one walk against 11 strikeouts in his last playoff outing against the Yankees. Houston also had the best bullpen in the AL this season, and the Astros have a lights-out 0.82 ERA in 33 playoff innings from relievers.
How to make Astros vs. Phillies picks
O'Neill is leaning Under on the total, and she has identified a critical x-factor that has her backing one side of the money line. You can only get her World Series Game 1 pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Astros vs. Phillies World Series Game 1? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of Phillies vs. Astros you need to jump on Friday, all from the expert that has crushed her MLB picks, and find out.
