Monday’s Game 3 of the World Series was postponed due to inclement weather, so the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros will pick the series back up on Tuesday. The series is even at 1-1 as the Phillies host the next three contests.
The first pitch of Tuesday’s contest is at 8:03 p.m. EST at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Houston is the betting favorite at -120, and the over/under total is 7.5 runs.
What to Know – Houston Astros
Houston evened the series in Game 2 on its home turf and now looks to take hold of the series by picking up a Game 3 victory on the road. The Astros are favored on the road and remain the betting favorite to win the World Series crown.
The expected starter for Game 3, right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., bumps his start to Tuesday for the visitors. McCullers has pitched twice in the postseason, picking up no-decisions in both. The talented 29-year-old didn’t make his first appearance until mid-August and wrapped up the regular season with a 4-2 record, a 2.27 ERA, and a 1.24 WHIP.
Offensively, Houston has been led by the bat of Alex Bregman. Bregan has swatted three home runs in the postseason and driven in nine runs batted in. His .316 team batting average is second on the team behind Yuli Gurriel’s .342 postseason average.
Through the postseason, the Astros are hitting .231 as a team and averaging 4.6 runs per game. Houston’s pitching staff has combined for a 2.18 team earned run average.
What to Know – Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia opened the Fall Classic with a thrilling victory in extras before dropping Game 2 on Saturday. Now, the last team into the playoffs on the NL side gets three-straight games at home with their wild fanbase.
Left-hander Ranger Suarez is the probable starter for the Phillies for Tuesday’s tilt. Suarez pitched 2/3rds of an inning in the series opener, allowing one hit and striking out one, helping the Phillies to victory. The 27-year-old was 10-7 during the regular season with a 3.65 ERA and 1.33 WHIP.
Bryce Harper continues to be hot at the plate, putting together an unreal postseason stat line. The All-Star is up to a .392 batting average during the playoffs with five home runs and 11 RBIs. Rhys Hoskins doesn’t have the batting average, but half of his ten hits have been home run blasts, and he has also driven in 11 runs over 13 games.
The Phillies are scoring five runs per contest while batting .233 as a team. The pitching staff for Philadelphia sports a 3.29 postseason team ERA.
The Pick is In
With Monday’s rainout, both teams will be well-rested, and a majority of the team’s bullpens will be ready to go. The Philly crowd will create a wild environment for the home opener, and we expect the Phillies to capitalize on the energy at the ballpark.
The Pick: Philadelphia Phillies ML
