Astros open as World Series favorites over Braves

The Houston Astros celebrate after defeating the Boston Red Sox 5-0 in Game Six of the American League Championship Series to advance to the World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 22, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Elsa/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by ELSA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

The Houston Astros will open the World Series at home on Tuesday night, and they’ll do so as strong favorites to take home the title.

The Astros have been installed as 1.5-run favorites in Game 1, when Houston will send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound. Houston is also the -145 favorite to win the series at BetMGM and has even shorter odds at DraftKings at -155.

The Braves are being offered at +120 and +130 at the two sportsbooks, respectively.

Atlanta will turn to right-hander Charlie Morton in Game 1, facing the team he played for from 2017-18.

Morton picked up the win for the Astros in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. He spent two years with the club and the following two with Tampa Bay, facing Houston in both the 2019 American League Division Series and 2020 AL Championship Series.

Morton, 37, is 0-1 with a 3.77 ERA in three postseason starts this year. He received a no-decision Tuesday in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers after allowing two runs on three hits with six walks in five innings.

Meanwhile, Valdez is 1-0 with a 4.20 ERA in three 2021 postseason starts. The 27-year-old was brilliant in his last outing, allowing one run on three hits in eight innings to earn the win in a 9-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is the pre-series MVP favorite at +900 at BetMGM, followed by teammates Michael Brantley and Yordan Alvarez at +1000. Alvarez is the +800 favorite at DraftKings, followed by Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman at +850 and Altuve and Atlanta outfielder Eddie Rosario at +1000.

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