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The Philadelphia Phillies took a 2-1 lead in the World Series on Tuesday night with the help of five home runs, all coming within the first five innings against Houston Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. The Phils have clobbered 17 homers through six home games this postseason. They will be home again tonight and looking to take a commanding series lead. The first pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET. The game will air on Fox. The probable starting pitchers are Houston’s Cristian Javier and Philly’s Aaron Nola.
Let’s make a moneyline pick for this game with odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Astros vs. Phillies Game 4 pick
HOU: -105
PHI: -115
Whether or not McCullers was actually tipping his pitches, the Phillies have definitely established themselves as the best offense in these playoffs. Houston’s lineup looks formidable on paper, but they haven’t gotten much from some of their stars, such as Yordan Alvarez, who is 4-for-32 over his past eight games. Houston’s bats did take some good swings against Nola in Game 1 on Friday; they hit him around for five runs in 4.1 innings. Outfielder Kyle Tucker did the bulk of the damage with a pair of homers. The Astros would end up squandering their 5-0 lead in that game, but that success should give Houston some confidence heading into tonight’s game.
On the other side, Javier has been damn near unhittable for the past month and a half. Over his past six appearances, Javier has allowed only eight hits and one run across 29.2 innings pitched. He might have the best stuff of anyone on the Astros’ staff. He probably won’t throw more than five or six innings, but Houston’s best relievers are fully rested. The same goes for Philly’s top bullpen arms, but on the whole, you probably have to give the edge there to the Astros. Houston is an underdog, however slight, for the first time in this World Series. Considering their possible pitching advantages and their lineup’s loud contact off of Nola in Game 1, the Astros are the sensible bet tonight.
Pick: HOU -105