- 1,277
- 86
- 48
After evening up the 2022 World Series in convincing fashion on Saturday night, the Houston Astros are once again favored to win the Fall Classic as it shifts to Philadelphia for the next three games.
After an off day, the series will resume on Monday night, with Lance McCullers Jr. and Noah Syndergaard the mound matchup for Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park.
The Astros let a 5-0 lead slip in Game 1, but they didn’t have the same issue in Game 2. They jumped out on top with three first-inning runs, then added two more on Alex Bregman’s two-run homer in the fifth inning.
But unlike Friday night, when Justin Verlander gave five runs right back to the Phillies, Framber Valdez allowed only one run in 6.1 innings, and the bullpen finished things off from there for a series-tying 5-2 win.
Game 3 in a best-of-seven series is always a pivotal one when the series is tied up, especially in a 2-3-2 format.
If the home team takes the series lead, they’ll have the home fans behind them for the next two games.
But if the road team takes the 2-1 lead, they will have the comfort of knowing that the series will, at the very least, return to their home stadium for a Game 6 and won’t have to see Game 4 as much of a must-win game as it would be if they were down 2-1.
Who will take a valuable advantage tomorrow night? The Astros are favored to for the win, but the Phillies are a perfect 5-0 at home thus far in the MLB playoffs.
Houston Astros vs. Philadelphia Phillies Matchup Information and Betting Odds – 2022 World Series Game 3
Matchup Information
- Matchup: Houston Astros (1-1) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (1-1)
- Venue & Location: Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
- Date: Tuesday, November 1, 2022
- Game Time: 8:03 p.m. Eastern Time
- How to Watch Astros vs. Phillies Game 3: FOX
Astros vs. Phillies Pitching Matchup
- Houston: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (2022 MLB Postseason: 2 starts, 0-0, 2.45 ERA; 8 starts, 4-2, 2.27 ERA in the regular season)
- Philadelphia: LHP Ranger Suarez (2022 MLB Postseason: 4 appearances – 2 starts, 1-0, 1.86 ERA – 29 starts, 10-7, 3.65 ERA in the regular season)
Astros vs. Phillies Odds
Odds are via FanDuel as of Tuesday, November 1 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.Moneyline
- Houston Astros -126
- Philadelphia Phillies +108
Over/Under
- Over 7.5 (-122)
- Under 7.5 (+100)
Run Line
- Houston Astros -1.5 (+130)
- Philadelphia Phillies +1.5 (-156)
Astros vs. Phillies Prediction and Best Bets
Astros vs. Phillies Prediction: Astros to winAstros vs. Phillies Best Bets: Astros ML (Best Value: -125 at Caesars Sportsbook & BetMGM)
Due to last night’s postponement, the Phillies have taken the opportunity to rejig their starting rotation a bit. Now, instead of Noah Syndergaard getting the Game 3 start, Suarez will start tonight and Aaron Nola, who started Game 1, will start tomorrow’s Game 4.
How much of a difference will that make tonight? Well, the Astros hit much better against LHP than RHP, just as the Phillies do. It’s debatable how much splits matter at this point, but they are certainly worth noting with the change in starters.
Batting Splits for the Houston Astros (2022 Regular Season Only)
- Batting average vs. LHP: .261
- BA in games started by LHP: .264
- Batting average vs. RHP: .242
- BA in games started by RHP: .240
McCullers didn’t have his best stuff in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees after having his championship series start delayed due to a freak champagne celebration accident. But after having his chance to pitch in last year’s World Series taken from him due to injury, I think he’ll be up for this one.
But if there is an edge for the Phillies, it’s the fact that they hit much better at home than the Astros do on the road.
All that said, after watching and betting on a lot of baseball this season, I happen to think that the Astros are a much better team and far better equipped, both in terms of talent and experience, to take care of business at this point of the year, and if I wasn’t off the train after Game 1, I’m certainly not off of it now.