Braves vs. Astros World Series Game 2 Odds, Preview, and Prediction (Archive)
The Atlanta Braves jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 2021 World Series, beating the Houston Astros 6-2 on Tuesday and taking home-field advantage for the Fall Classic. Now, Atlanta looks to sweep both early games in Houston and have a commanding 2-0 lead heading back to Atlanta.
The Astros, who lost home field in the ALCS, then won two games in Boston to take over the series, will try to even things up on Wednesday. Let’s see the MLB odds.
Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros
Wednesday, October 27, 2021 – 8:09 PM EDT at Minute Maid Park
After upsetting the Los Angeles Dodgers to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1999, the Atlanta Braves got another upset win on Tuesday night. The Braves beat the Astros in Houston, 6-2, to jump out to a 1-0 lead in the 2021 Fall Classic. The win gave the Braves a home-field advantage in the Series.
Now, the Braves look to sweep both early games in Houston and have a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven showdown when they head back to Atlanta for the weekend. The Braves got an early show of power and a strong outing from the bullpen, shutting down the heart of the Astros lineup in the opening game.
The deficit is nothing new for Houston, who lost home field early in the American League Championship Series too, then won two of three in Boston to take control of the series. The Astros will look to even the series at one game each by rebounding with a win on Wednesday.
Tough Break
The Braves’ bullpen has had a tumultuous season, with some high-profile meltdowns and nail-biting finishes all year long. The pen will now need to step up in a big way in the most important series of the season. Starter Charlie Morton was on his way to giving the Braves a strong start in Game One when he suffered a fractured fibula. He recorded three outs on the broken leg, throwing through pain for 16 pitches and striking out two Astros batters.
While Morton wasn’t going to pitch in Wednesday’s game, his injury will have ripple effects that will be felt in Game Two. Morton left in the third inning, and Braves relievers had to cover the final 6.1 innings. The bullpen stepped up in a big way, allowing just two runs and keeping the Houston lineup in check.
But some of the Braves’ best relief pitchers had long nights, which will limit their availability on Wednesday. A.J. Minter, who has been Atlanta’s best reliever in the postseason, threw 43 pitches and will likely not be an option in Game Two. The Braves were already planning a bullpen game for Game Four and now need to tab someone—probably Kyle Wright—to replace Morton for Game Five, which means not overworking certain relievers early in the series.
The Braves will need a strong start from Max Fried, He’s started three games in the postseason this year, going 16.2 innings with a 3.78 ERA. He also had an MLB best 1.74 ERA over the second half of the season.
Scrambling Again
The Astros spent much of the ALCS trying to find a rested arm to take the mound. Houston starters failed to get out of the third inning for the first three games of the series, and several starters got hurt or were coming back from earlier injuries, depleting the bullpen.
Framber Valdez saved the day for Houston, going eight innings in Game Four to give the relievers a night off and even up the series. Now Houston finds itself in the same spot, thanks to a rough night by Valdez, who was knocked out of the opening game after two innings, with Houston down 5-0. That forced the bullpen to go seven innings.
The Astros will need a good night from Game Two starter Jose Urquidy. Manager Dusty Baker went with Urquidy instead of Luis Garcia, who will take Game Three in Atlanta. That gives Garcia, who suffered an injury in the ALCS, an extra day of rest and allows Urquidy to pitch in a home game, which means Houston gets a DH. That allows the Astros to have a defensive outfield lineup behind the fly ball pitcher, instead of sacrificing defense to get DH Yordan Alvarez on the field.
The Pick
Every Braves’ batter in the lineup got a hit in Game One, while Houston’s biggest bats—Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Carlos Correa—combined to go 0-for-12 with six strikeouts. The Astros showed in the ALCS that their offense can’t be kept quiet for long. For your MLB picks, look for Houston to break out and even things up in Game Two.
MLB Pick: Astros (-112) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.