Houston Astros World Series Favorites After Feeling at Home on Road

Posted on: October 28, 2019, 08:51h. 

Last updated on: October 28, 2019, 11:18h.

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The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals are playing in only the third World Series in history to see the home team lose the first five games.

Houston Astros World Series Washington Nationals
The Houston Astros are back in business after taking three games of the World Series on the road in Washington. (Image: Jeff Roberson/AP)

Houston returns home for Game 6 – and Game 7 if necessary – to try to win their second MLB title in three years. Up three games to two, oddsmakers believe strongly the Astros will get it done, especially with veteran ace Justin Verlander taking the mound Tuesday night.

The FanDuel sportsbook has the series price at Houston -900, Washington +550. A $100 bet respectively nets $11.11 and $550 on those odds. Houston’s line implies there is a 90 percent chance they win the Commissioner’s Trophy.

We look like ourselves now,” Astros manager AJ Hinch said, following his team’s third consecutive win. “I love our feel for the moment and feel for this team.”

“Everybody talks about culture and chemistry, and when you have it, you love it,” the manager continued. “When you see it on the other side, you’re envious of it. And we just have a way of playing for today.”

Questions Remain

Verlander has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball over the last 15 years. The 36-year-old is seemingly a certain Cooperstown inductee after retirement. But one glaring statistic on his otherwise Hall of Fame career is that he’s winless in the World Series.

He led the majors with 21 wins this season and struck out a career high 300 to eclipse the 3,000 mark. But in Game 2, he was outdueled by Stephen Strasburg, another trusty veteran.

The two will square off again in Houston in Game 6 Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park. Verlander will look to put a win on his current 0-5 World Series record.

The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas has the Game 6 odds with the Nationals at +160, and Astros -170. A $100 bet respectively nets $160 and $58.82. The over/under is 7.5 runs.

Verlander expects to have plenty of offensive support behind his pitching.

“These guys, all season long, offense comes and goes, you have slumps. But when they’re clicking on all cylinders, it’s pretty special to watch,” Verlander said on Sunday.

Making History

Washington won two in Houston, and then Houston won three in Washington. Only the 1906 and 1996 World Series have seen the visiting team win in each of the first five games.

Game 6 in each saw the home team finally win a game, which ended each World Series.

In 1906, the Chicago White Sox beat their cross-city foe the Cubs at South Side Park, III. Ninety years later, the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves in the Bronx to win the title.