Road Warriors: Houston Ties World Series and Reclaims Favorite Status Heading Into Game 5

Posted on: October 27, 2019, 12:41h. 

Last updated on: October 27, 2019, 01:44h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

The Houston Astros have stormed back to even up the World Series at two games apiece. In doing so, they’ve reclaimed the status of favorite to win the MLB title.

Houston pitcher Gerrit Cole will start in Sunday’s Game 5 of the World Series. After losing the first two games at home, Houston has won the last two in Washington to even the Series and reclaim favorite status among sportsbooks. (Image: MLB.com)

Houston pitcher Jose Urquidy struck out four and allowed just two hits in five shutout innings, and Alex Bregman went 3-for-5 with a grand slam to lead the visiting Astros to an 8-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.

After losing the first two games at home, the Astros have now made this a best-of-three series. On Sunday night for Game 5 at Nationals Park, Gerrit Cole will take the mound for Houston against Max Scherzer. It’s a rematch of Game 1 that saw the Nationals get to Cole for five runs and hand him his first loss since May.

Houston’s ace, who is 19-1 with a 1.79 ERA in his last 26 starts, is hoping to redeem himself.

I hope I go home with nothing left in the tank,” Cole told reporters Saturday. “Whether tomorrow is the last time I pitch or I get the opportunity to pitch another time after that, I just hope that I’m just absolutely dog-tired by the time I get home.”

Cole-Scherzer II will be one of two strong pitching matchups looming in the next two games. On Tuesday, when the Series reverts to Houston, the Nationals Stephen Strasburg will go up against Justin Verlander, a rematch of Game 2.

With the road teams winning the first four games, it marked the first time that’s happened since 1996.

Game 5 is set to start at 8:07 pm ET and will be televised on FOX. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the game.

Oddsmakers Backing Houston Sunday

Despite being the home team – or perhaps maybe because they’re the home team – the Nats find themselves back to being underdogs in Game 5. That’s the same place they started the World Series.

Houston with Cole is the -150 moneyline favorite at DraftKings to take a 3-2 lead back to Houston. Washington with Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner who struck out 243 batters in just 172-1/3 innings this season, is offered at +132. As 1.5-run favorites, the Astros odds are +117, while the Nationals are -136 in getting the runs.

The over/under is seven runs, with the over currently priced at -107 and the under at -114. Only one of the games has seen less than seven runs scored.

FanDuel’s odds are similarly priced, with the moneyline -150/+130. The 1.5-run run line is +118 for Houston to -140 for the Nationals. The seven-run over/under is even money for over and -122 for the under.

Series Odds Come Full Circle

Houston started the World Series as the heaviest favorite in 12 years. However, after the Nats took the first two games, oddsmakers reversed course.

Now, they’ve reversed the reverse.

FanDuel opened the Series with Houston as -240 favorites. Now after the last two wins, it’s made the Astros the -270 favorite. Washington’s odds, meanwhile, are +215 to win two of the last three games.

DraftKings is offering the ‘Stros at -250 and the Nationals at +200.

Both books believe Houston will win the next two games. In betting on the exact series outcome, FanDuel is offering +115 odds for Houston to win in six games. DraftKings offers +130 for the same outcome.

Those who think the Nats can win in six can get +575 odds at DraftKings and +600 at FanDuel. A seven-game series win for Houston is +210 (DraftKings) and +230 (FanDuel), while a Washington seven-gamer is +430 and +370, respectively.