The Astros 5-0 win over the Phillies on Wednesday night has ensured us a sixth game at the very least in this enthralling 2022 World Series final. So with the fifth match of the series taking place in Philadelphia tonight we look ahead to the match and name our World Series MLB betting picks.
The match at the Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park tonight will be the final home tie of the series for Philadelphia. So with the sixth and – if required – seventh matches taking place in Houston, the Phillies will be looking to send their fans home happy.
The series is now tied at 2-2. This is thanks to a superb fight back from Houston, who recovered from their 7-0 drubbing in match 3, to no-hit the Phillies with a 5-0 win in match 4. This now means we are going to a sixth match no matter what the outcome tonight, and any neutral MLB fan will surely be hoping for a seventh and deciding match up as well.
Squaring the series does hand the Astros a huge initiative now. If they can win tonight, they will have two chances with home advantage to win the World Series. Even if they lose tonight, they will still have home advantage in match 6 to level the series, and then again in the deciding seventh match.
This seems to be reflected in the betting. BetOnline is making the Astros -180 to win the 2022 World Series. The same sportsbook also makes the Phillies +165 to win their first title since 2008. You can read more about this sport betting site at our BetOnline sportsbook review.
As you can see from our table below, pretty much all of the best MLB World Series betting sites are thinking the same as BetOnline.
BetUS has the Astros odds on at -190, while Bovada has Dusty Baker’s side at -185. For the Phillies, BetUS are +155, and Bovada are +165. There’s a bit of difference in the odds there, but nothing major. But as always, it’s recommended to go with the best odds. Or if you’re a new customer, you might want to go with the sportsbook offering the best new account offer.
Right, onto the match itself, and how do the Phillies bounce back from the mauling they took at Citizens Bank Park? Well, to answer that, just look at what the Astros did. They were taken apart the previous night 7-0, and they bounced back with a remarkable win.
But therein could be the problem for the Phillies. Although they knew this would be a tough series and they went into it as underdogs, they have so far thrown everything at last year’s beaten finalists, and so far they haven’t been able to establish a proper lead in the series.
The Phillies won match 1 at Minute Maid Park with a remarkable comeback from 5-0 down to win the match in an extra-innings. What happens in match 2? The Astros come back with a solid 5-2 win to level the series. Then in match 3, the Phillies take the pre-series favorites to the cleaners winning 7-0. What happens next? The Astros go and return the lock out with a 5-0 win in match 4.
Philadelphia must be feeling that no matter what they throw at the Astros, they can’t shake them off. They’re probably seeing the fact that the Astros didn’t win 8-0 last night (to better the match 3 result) as the only positive right now.
The Phillies can’t be too disheartened though. They have home advantage tonight, and the Astros are yet to be ahead in the series. But can they win the mind games in their own heads ahead of match 5?
The best MLB betting sites aren’t convinced Philadelphia can turn last night’s defeat around. Although they’re not out of the betting to win the World Series, Philadelphia are +142 on the moneyline to win tonight. The Houston Astros are favorites at -154.
On the handicap, with a +1.5 points start, Philadelphia are -130, the Astros (-1.5 points) are +110. As for the total points spread, that is set at 7.5, with both over and under at -110.
Over 7.5 has only come in once so far, in match 1. Although it has been close to happening on two other occasions, as tempted as I am, I’m going to leave it.
For my betting pick, I’m siding with Houston. Yes, this series has been crazy, and it could get even crazier. But with my betting head on, I can only go with the Astros. The problem is, do I back them on the moneyline or the handicap?
Well, on the two occasions Houston has won in this series, they have been by margins of 3 and 5 scores. There could be a close match to come with a Houston win, but I think the evidence points to backing Houston to win on the handicap, and at +110, I make that my betting pick.
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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