After a brief layoff, the 2022 World Series is officially here. The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros will battle in out in the Fall Classic after a pair of impressive postseason runs.
Philadelphia's bats lifted the 87- win team to their Cinderella October run, mashing 16 home runs in just 11 games. The 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper has been at the center of the action, slashing .419/.444/.907 along with 6 doubles, 5 home runs and 11 RBIs.
As they did all season, the Houston Astros dominated the New York Yankees during the ALCS with the league's best pitching staff. Houston's staff allowed only 6 earned runs over four games against the Yankees and logged a stellar 50 strikeouts.
Houston enters the Fall Classic as a slight -190 favorite over the Phillies' +165 odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's latest MLB odds. The Astros are also -172 moneyline favorites in Game 1 of the series with a matchup against Philadelphia's Aaron Nola. Justin Verlander is Houston's most l ikely Game 1 starter.
First pitch of the 2022 World Series is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 28 at 8:03 p.m. ET. And The Duel staff is here to make our picks and predictions for baseball's final battle in October.
World Series Picks and Predictions
1. “Astros Pitching Quiets Hot Phillies Bats” – Adam Taylor McKillop
Game 1 Prediction: Astros 5, Philli es 2
World Series Pick: Astros in 5
World Series MVP: Jose Altuve (+1300)
Best Bet: Bryce Harper to Hit Most Home Runs (+430)
2. “Houston, We Have A Championship” – Tyler Maher
Game 1 Prediction: Astros 4, Phillies 2
World Series Pick: Astros in 6
World Series MVP: Yordan Alvarez (+650)
Best Bet: Jose Altuve to Record Most Hits (+500)
3. “Bryce Harper's Dream Po stseason Continues” – David Kaestle
Game 1 Prediction: Phillies 4, Astros 3
World Series Pick: Phillies in 6
World Series MVP: Bryce Harper (+550)
Best Bet: Bryce Harper to Record Most RBI (+380)
4. “Another Win for the Bad Guys” – Jason Schandl
Game 1 Prediction: Astros 5, Phillies 2
World Series Pick: Astros in 6
World Series MVP: Yordan Alvarez (+650)
Best Bet: Yordan Alvarez to Record Most RBI (+360)