The Houston Astros are a perfect 7-0 in the MLB Playoffs to this point. No team in the Wild Card era has ever gone undefeated in the postseason. In order to keep that dream alive, it will be up to Justin Verlander and his teammates to hold off Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.
Houston is a sizable favorite for both the series (which I wrote about here) and the game, but Philadelphia has been an underdog in all three series to this point, so they’re no strangers to pulling upsets. We’ve got a little bit of a surprise starter in Game 1 for the Phils and a not-surprise starter for the Astros, though Houston waited until Thursday afternoon to announce.
Let’s see what Game 1 has in store.
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros (-165, 6.5)