Justin Verlander has been the best pitcher in baseball since joining the Houston Astros. In Verlander’s nine appearances with the ’Stros – eight of which were starts – the righty is 9-0 with a 1.23 ERA while recording 67 strikeouts to 11 walks. Verlander will look to continue his dominant postseason when he takes the bump to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday.
The Dodgers will counter with 37-year-old Rich Hill, who has been a steady presence in the rotation. Though Hill has not pitched deep into games this postseason – just 9.0 innings in two starts – he has allowed only three combined runs. In addition, the Dodgers bullpen has been the best during the postseason with a 0.88 ERA and will be well rested after Clayton Kershaw pitched seven innings in Game 1.
Pitching was the story of Game 1, as Kershaw and Dallas Keuchel cut down batters with ease. This led to the shortest World Series game since 1992 when the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves. It might be naïve to believe that offense is suddenly going to come bursting forth in this series, as the Dodgers and Astros are batting .233 and .191 respectively since the start of the championship series.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The moneyline was hovering in the range of -113 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in this one over at Sportsbook. The OVER/UNDER number was sitting near 7.5 at Sportsbook.
OddsShark computer prediction handicapping models run on this game pick a 5.0-0.2 victory for the Dodgers. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming MLB matchups here.
Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Los Angeles Dodgers bring a 112-59 record to the battle against the 108-66 Astros. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Los Angeles vs Houston injuries news.
The Dodgers-Astros odds would favor the Astros if the betting lines were set according to our power ranks. Los Angeles is rated No. 7 in the current OddsShark poll, while Houston is at No. 2.
Statistical Matchup
When it comes to getting on base, the visiting Houston Astros rank No. 1 at 9.62 hits per game. That compares with the Los Angeles Dodgers' No. 23 ranking in that category.
Houston brings the No. 7-rated defense to this matchup, facing the Dodgers' No. 2-ranked defense.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Houston batters were mowed down by Clayton Kershaw in their last start, falling 3-1 against Los Angeles while striking out 11 times on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
Next Betting Matchups
Houston home to Los Angeles, Friday, October 27