The 2022 MLB World Series matchup is set between a pair of teams that have peaked at the right time in the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies, but the oddsmakers like one team more than the other.
Both the Astros and Phillies have put together dominant postseason runs in which they claimed the pennant in their respective leagues in five games or less, but it’s the Astros who open as the favorites to win it all by a significant margin.
While the Astros are the overall favorite at Caesars Sportsbook, there are several other betting options for those looking to wager on the Fall Classic such as how games the series goes and who wins MVP.
First pitch for Game 1 is set for Friday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. ET, so let’s take a look at the betting options that could offer value before the action gets underway.
World Series winner
Houston Astros (-190), Philadelphia Phillies (+170)
The Astros are significantly favored, especially for a World Series matchup, with the line discrepancy stemming from the fact that the Astros won 19 more regular season games than the Phillies. The difference in the line doesn’t appear to be enough though to scare bettors away from the favorite, as anything under -200 or below seems to be a fair price for the Astros considering how dominant they’ve been this postseason anchored by an elite pitching staff.
Series spreads
Astros -2.5 (+300), Phillies +2.5 (-400), Phillies +1.5 (-150), Astros -1.5 (+120), Astros +1.5 (-350), Phillies -1.5 (+270)
There’s not much value to be had here other than for those that think the Astros will wrap this series up in five games (+300), but the Phillies to push it to seven games could pay off at -150 since they’ve had the more consistent lineup this postseason to where they’ve got a solid chance to push it to the final game even if they can’t win it.
Number of games
Six games (+210), Seven games (+230), Five games (+260), Four games (+525)
Predicting the number of games in a World Series is never easy to where it ending four games could offer value at +525 with the Astros looking like the clear-cut favorite. No sweep has occurred since 2012, however, with seven games being the recent trend having occurred four times in the past 10 years.
Series correct score
Astros in six (+375), Astros in seven (+400), Astros in five (+475), Phillies in six (+600), Phillies in seven (+650), Astros sweep (+650), Phillies in five (+900), Phillies sweep (+1600 odds boost)
Astros in six is the most likely outcome according to the odds, and it appears to be the best play on the board with none of the other scenarios offering odds longer than +1000 outside of the highly unlikely scenario of a Phillies sweep. The past two World Series matchups have gone six games, with the Astros being on the losing end last year.
World Series MVP (favorites)
Bryce Harper (+500), Yordan Alvarez (+600), Justin Verlander (+900), Kyle Schwarber (+1000), Jose Altuve (+1400), Alex Bregman (+1600), Zack Wheeler (+1600), Kyle Tucker (+1600), Jeremy Pena (+1600)
This looks like a tough year to pick out a World Series MVP considering the amount of elite talent on both sides, but there are several hitters worth keeping an eye on, especially a pair of Astros in Jeremy Pena and former LSU product Alex Bregman. Both appear to be bargains at +1600 since they’ve been red-hot during the playoffs and are on the team most likely to win the series. Verlander looks tempting at +900, but only one pitcher has won the award in the past seven years.
Game 1 odds
Phillies (+143, +1.5) at Astros (-170, -1.5), 6.5 O/U
The Astros are heavy favorites in Game 1 and rightfully so, as they’ll be at home and have Justin Verlander on the mound, but Phillies ace Zack Wheeler has been exceptional this postseason to where the Phillis could offer value as an underdog. The under also looks appealing considering the elite level of starting pitching.
