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Nobody expected the Washington Nationals to be playing baseball in October let alone in the World Series. At one point earlier in the season they had the same number of losses as the Detroit Tigers. The Nats are playing with house money as the decided underdog when the Fall Classic opens on Tuesday, but they are playing superb baseball having won six in row ahead of the World Series. The Houston Astros were on the short list of favorites to win the World Series at the beginning of the season and they didn’t disappoint, winning a MLB-best 107 games during the regular season. Both teams have outstanding pitching at the top of their rotation which should make for some close games along the way.
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The 2019 World Series gets underway on Tuesday, October 22 at 8 p.m. ET from Houston’s Minute Maid Park. All games will be televised on FOX. You can wager on every game of the World Series at BookMaker.eu.
2019 World Series Schedule
Game 1: Tuesday, October 22, Washington at Houston, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 2: Wednesday, October 23, Washington at Houston, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 3: Friday, October 25, Houston at Washington, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 4: Saturday, October 26, Houston at Washington, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 5: Sunday, October 27, Houston at Washington, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 6: Tuesday, October 29, Washington at Houston, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Game 7: Wednesday, October 30, Washington at Houston, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)
Odds Analysis
Houston won 14 more games than the Nationals during the regular season, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Over the last four months of the season the Nats were on par with the Dodgers for the best record in the National League, which allowed them to sneak into a wild card spot. Washington hit a low point in late May falling to 19-31, they ended by winning 74 of their final 112 games while leading the senior circuit in runs scored over that span. And they kept winning and scoring once the postseason started.
The Nats advanced with a thrilling, 4-3, comeback win over Milwaukee in the Wild Card game. They fell behind the Dodgers two games to one in the LDS only to win the next two, including the clincher in LA when trailing by a pair late. The pitching staff dominated the first three games of the NLCS holding the Cardinals to a combined two runs before finishing off the sweep with a 7-4 victory. The Nats enter the series having won six in a row and with six full days off in between games. That does allow Dave Martinez to set his rotation, but also kills any positive vibes the team had.
The season wasn’t as stressful for the Astros, who are making their second trip to the World Series in three years. The nucleus of the team remains intact from the 2017 winning club that beat the Dodgers in seven games. And they breezed through the regular season with a franchise record 107 wins. They didn’t have a wild card game, but they went the distance with Tampa Bay before closing out the division series with a Game 5 win. They also responded to a shutout loss in Game 1 of the ALCS by taking the next three from the Yankees. They avoided a decisive Game 7 when Jose Altuve blasted a walk-off homer off Aroldis Chapman to win Game 6.
Pitching Comparison
Both teams have proven to be destructive offensively during the playoffs, but like most series the deciding factor will be pitching. Washington has the advantage of time off after sweeping St. Louis giving Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin plenty of time to get greased up for this matchup. The Astros counter with their own studs in Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander. AJ Hinch manipulated his rotation beautifully to maximize appearance by Cole and Verlander who could each start twice should the series go seven games.
Bet Nationals vs. Astros at BookMaker.eu
Washington feels like a team of destiny after what it accomplished to get here. The Nats were easily the best offensive team of any in the LCS, especially with runners in scoring position when they hit a robust .393. Getting players in position might be more difficult against the Astros staff and there’s still that bullpen issue that lingers. While they have been better, the Nats’ pen owned the worst ERA during the regular season. Houston has more depth up and down the lineup and Zack Grienke will be the X-factor in an Astros triumph.
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