Chris Boline
All the momentum has seemingly evaporated for the Philadelphia Phillies. Up 2-1 in the World Series against Houston, the team suffered a rough loss in Game 4 and we’re now even at 2-2 in the Fall Classic. This is exactly what fans were hoping to see. Now, we have Game 5 on the docket and both teams will be fighting their hearts out. Who will come out on top? In this piece, we have MLB World Series picks for Game 5 for Phillies vs. Astros.
Astros are the favorites to win Game 5
Unfortunately for all you Phillies fans out there, the Astros are the favorites to win Game 5. This would be the worst-case scenario for people in Philadelphia, as this series is headed back to Houston for Game 6 and Game 7. If Houston were to win Game 5, go up 3-2, and then have two games to close things out at home at Minute Maid Park, it’d be a disaster for the NL East side.
Everyone at Citizens Bank Park was hoping that the Phillies would be able to increase its lead to 3-1 in Game 4, but the cards didn’t align for them in that case. The Astros bats caught fire early on and things are only going to get tough for the Phillies in Game 5. That’s because Houston will be starting former Cy Young winner Justin Verlander out onto the bump. He’s one of the best in the business.
| World Series G5 |  |  |  |  |
| Astros to win | -120 | -120 | -120 | -120 |
| Phillies to win | +115 | +115 | +115 | +115 |
| Over to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
While Verlander has been far from perfect thus far in the postseason, he’s still got what it takes to record a shutout in Game 5. He’s just that good. Meanwhile for the Phillies, they’re going to be relying on Noah Syndergaard to showcase his old form, as he’ll be taking the bump to face Verlander. Syndergaard’s best days sure are behind him, but he’s also got the potential to silence the Houston bats.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, the Astros have been given -120 MLB betting odds to win Game 5. Meanwhile for the Phillies, their odds have been set +115. This could end up being a close game, but at the end of things, we’re going to have to go with the Astros to record a win. With Verlander pitching for them, it feels like they’re going to be too much to handle for the Phillies.
Finish the job. pic.twitter.com/vEEDswY58D
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 28, 2022
How many games will the World Series end up going?
Following Game 4, a lot of folks out there are asking themselves how many games will the World Series end up going? As things stand, we’re going to at minimum see six games, but you never know, we could end up seeing things get to a seventh. It really depends on what happens in Game 5. Should the Astros record a win in Game 5, then there’s a strong chance that they’ll be able to wrap things up in Game 6.
However, should the Phillies stun Verlander and company, then we really could see things reaching the final Game 7. Goodness, that really would be something. Per the oddsmakers, this series getting to Game 6 has been placed at +125. While the odds for a Game 7 being placed is now at +150. Again, these numbers will surely be impacted as soon as Game 5 comes to a close. It’s going to have a lot of people changing their minds on things.
With all of that said, Game 5 really feels like a must-win here for the Phillies. The idea of them winning back-to-back games in Houston with their hometown fans going wild seems too difficult to get done. We think Houston will win Game 5, though. On top of that, we’re going to double down in our confidence for Houston and take the +125 odds that they’ll close things out with a Game 6 win. Soon enough, it will be lights out for the Phillies and their World Series betting odds.
Kyle Tucker has seen his World Series odds skyrocket
For the Astros, there’s no question that slugger Kyle Tucker has seen his World Series odds skyrocket over the last week. He may not be as big a name as Alex Bregman, Verlander, Jose Altuve or Yordan Alvarez, but this guy has really delivered for the Astros when they’ve needed him to. Houston fans are loving this kind and rightfully so, as he’s really impressed from start to finish in the playoffs.
With the Astros inching closer to winning another World Series, Tucker is going to play a massive role in this team winning it all. However, keep in mind that Bryce Harper remains the favorite to win World Series MVP at +170. With that said, it’s hard to imagine that Harper would be able to win the award if the Phillies don’t win and the Astros do.
Should Houston win the World Series – which is what we are projecting – then it only makes sense for an Astros star to take home that honor. Call it a bit of a stunner, but we’re going with Tucker to win World Series MVP. He currently holds +250 odds to win it, and we think that he’ll end up capturing one of the highest of individual glories.
Kyle Tucker has won his first-career Gold Glove. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/MX8RAX1wxG
— Houston Astros (@astros) November 1, 2022
