The Bum's MLB Best Bets - Trends - News Thru the World Series !

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


LAD at HOU 08:00 PM

HOU -141

O 8.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Giles falters again, Astros lose to Dodgers 6-2 in Game 4
October 29, 2017

HOUSTON (AP) This time, the Astros couldn't save Ken Giles.

Houston's hard-throwing closer faltered again in Game 4 of the World Series, taking the loss in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-2 victory on Saturday night.

''I didn't do my job - that simple,'' he said. ''I let the team down.''

With the game tied at 1 in the ninth inning, Giles was charged with three runs without getting an out, inflating his postseason ERA to 11.75. He's allowed at least a run in six of seven appearances - a staggering flop after posting a 1.14 ERA over his final 38 regular-season games.

''They were all crappy pitches, not where I wanted them,'' he said. ''I need to do better, I need to pick up this team, I need to carry my weight, and I need to do more for these guys.''

In his previous outing, Giles gave up a solo homer to Yasiel Puig and a tying hit to Enrique Hernandez to blow a lead in the 10th inning of Game 2. Houston bailed him out, rallying for a 7-6, 11-inning win.

There was no such comeback after Giles' Game 4 collapse.

Giles allowed a leadoff single to Corey Seager and walked Justin Turner in the ninth. Cody Bellinger then lined a double into left-center, bringing Seager home.

Manager A.J. Hinch pulled Giles at that point, but the closer was charged with two more runs when Turner and Bellinger later scored.

Boos rained down from the home crowd as Giles walked off.

The player nicknamed 100-miles-Giles has quickly become a liability. He has a pair of saves this postseason - in Game 4 of the AL Division Series against Boston and Game 1 of the AL Championship Series versus the Yankees after allowing a run in each game - but he had blown leads in two of his last three outings before Saturday.

Before the game, Major League Baseball held a ceremony to honor the top relief pitcher of the year. On hand for the festivities were former closers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, two baseball greats who also had some October struggles - but never like this.

Giles had a 2.30 ERA in 63 appearances in the regular season. His ERA in two World Series games is 27.00.

Hinch was keeping the faith, though, saying after Game 2 that he thinks ''Ken Giles is going to get another save in this series. I think he's going to get some really big outs.''

He added: ''Just because somebody has a bad day at work, does not mean that they need to be condemned and sent away. ... I'm going to keep putting him in and trusting him.''

After this latest performance, Hinch may need to find a new go-to at the back of the bullpen. He wasn't asked specifically if he'd use Giles in the ninth again, but he did address his recent troubles.

''Clearly he's trying to push through the adversity that he's had,'' Hinch said. ''But to be a back-end reliever, you've got to live on that edge of not carrying too long of a memory because of the things that can happen at the back of the game. But you have your ball in your hands at the most critical times because you have the best stuff. He can get outs, and he'll continue to get outs, but it's been tough on him.''

Giles is confident that he can bounce back and that Hinch will give him a chance to do so.

''He knows I can do this,'' Giles said. ''I believe in him and everybody believes in me. I'm not going to let this team down. I just need that one out to get back on track for these guys.''

[StarDust Bum]

Kershaw gets early start on ace matchup vs Keuchel in Game 5
October 29, 2017

HOUSTON (AP) The hearty handshakes and hugs done in the middle of the diamond, Clayton Kershaw still had work to do.

So while his teammates cleared the field after a dynamic World Series win Saturday night, Kershaw trotted away and climbed atop the mound .

All alone, holding a ball in his bare hands and wearing a hoodie, the Los Angeles Dodgers ace went into the stretch. He looked toward home plate, then at second base, then did a half-leg lift.

Game 4 had just ended, and already Kershaw was set to deliver in Game 5.

Kershaw got an early start on what will be a marquee matchup at Minute Maid Park on Sunday night. He'll face Houston star Dallas Keuchel, with the Series tied at 2.

''I like where we're at,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ''This Series up to this point, we've played four games, and there's been so many emotional swings, and we're dead even right now.''

''And it's a three-game series, and we've got our ace going tomorrow. So I know that in our clubhouse we feel good,'' he said.

Down in the late innings, the Dodgers rallied to beat the Astros 6-2. Kershaw turned from heady pitcher to head cheerleader, shouting from the top of the dugout steps when Cody Bellinger hit a go-ahead double in the ninth inning .

Next up is a rematch of the opener, when Kershaw outpitched Keuchel in a 3-1 win.

''Well, they're two pretty good teams. I don't think that's overstating anything,'' Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. ''So it probably doesn't surprise a ton of people that it's 2-2. How the games have gone, where we've won or where they've won can always be debated.''

Keuchel figures he already has one advantage for his upcoming start - warming up, he'll be able to spot his catcher.

It was 103 degrees at Dodger Stadium for the first pitch in the opener. Keuchel felt the heat while he threw to catcher Brian McCann before the game.

''Physically, I felt great. The only thing that bothered me was the sun, it was literally in my face in the bullpen,'' he said.

''I had never been at Dodger Stadium for a 5 (p.m.) game before. Couldn't even see McCann or the plate warming up,'' he said.

Part of the home-field advantage, probably. While Keuchel loosened up in the sun, Kershaw was in the shade.

With the retractable roof closed at Minute Maid Park, the elements won't be an issue this time.

Kershaw was in total control when they met Tuesday night. He threw seven shutout innings, giving up three hits while striking out 11 without a walk, improving to 3-0 this October.

Keuchel kept it close in the matchup for Cy Young Award-winning lefties. He pitched 6 2-3 innings and allowed three runs, giving up home runs to Justin Turner and Chris Taylor.

In the open air, the crowd was loud at Dodger Stadium. At Minute Maid, the sound is amplified indoors.

''It's always more than I expect. And when I think about it in my head it's one way, but then it's actually better each and every time,'' Keuchel said.

''It was pretty impressive at Dodger Stadium to see all the white and blue. And I could only spot five or six orange Astros shirts or jerseys. So to replicate that here back in Houston is amazing,'' he said.

A charged setting, at both ballparks.

''Each game is in and of itself, Game 7-type atmosphere for us,'' Kershaw said before this win.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Six most popular picks for Week 8 in the Westgate Super Contest:

6) Dallas Cowboys, -2 (745)

5) Los Angeles Chargers, +7 (746)

4) Atlanta Falcons, -4.5 (766)

3) Seattle Seahawks, -5.5 (797)

2) New Orleans Saints, -9 (801)

1) Carolina Panthers, -2 (745)

Season record of top 6 picks: 15-27


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Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday…….

13) Ohio State 39, Penn State 38— Nittany Lions led 35-20 with 12:00 left, 38-27 with 5:00 left, but Buckeyes drove 76-58 yards on their last two drives to win the game. Barrett was 33-39/328 with four TD passes for Ohio State— he was 13-13 with three TD’s in the 4th quarter.

12) Georgia 42, Florida 7— Further proof the world is going crazy: Gators went 19-8 the last two years; they’re 3-4 this year and now they want to fire the coach? Why? One bad year and they show you the door?

Our society is getting so incredibly soft now; people can’t deal with their teams losing, which may be part of why the NFL’s popularity slips in areas during a bad year. Fewer people stick with their teams thru thick and thin. We’re becoming a nation of front-runners.

“We’re with you win or tie, and we’re not that crazy about tie.”

11) Iowa State 14, TCU 7— Cyclones have had one winning season since 2006; the last seven years, Iowa State was 28-58— they’re 6-2 now, after their starting QB left the team for unstated “medical” reasons. Their starting QB the last two years is now their starting middle linebacker. Your 2017 National Coach of the Year? Iowa State’s Matt Campbell.

10) Boston College 35, Florida State 3— Seminoles are 2-5 and appear to have packed it in for the season. Must be fun to be a Miami Hurricanes fan right now, with Gators/Seminoles having such dreadful seasons.

9) Wake Forest 42, Louisville 32— Demon Deacons scored 40+ in an ACC game for first time since 2010. QB John Wolford was 28-34/461 passing against a struggling Louisville defense.

8) Arkansas 38, Ole Miss 37— Razorbacks trailed 31-7 with 3:00 left in first half. Two bad teams playing an exciting game. Arkansas scored a defensive TD with 6:01 left when they were down 35-27, not the best Ole Miss moment of the day.

7) Harvard 25, Dartmouth 22— When Harvard recovered a fumbled punt, a Dartmouth assistant coach punched the window of the press box so hard that he shattered it— security removed him from the stadium.

Dartmouth led 14-0 when they fumbled the punt, which turned out to be a costly play.

6) MLB suspended Yuli Gurriel for the first five games of 2018 for his actions during Game 2 of the World Series, instead of for the rest of the World Series. Some people complained that some immediate action should’ve been taken, because in today’s world, somebody is always complaining about something. Oy

Gurriel loses $382,716 with the 5-game suspension, which isn’t nothing; if he gets fined for his 2017 salary instead (doubtful) it would’ve been $444,444.44. His base salary for next year is $2M less than this year.

5) Upsets of the Week:
UNLV (+21) 26, Fresno State 16
Florida International (+16) 41, Marshall 30
Houston (+10.5) 28, South Florida 24
Air Force (+10) 45, Colorado State 28
Texas State (+8) 27, Coastal Carolina 7
Iowa State (+6.5) 14, TCU 7

4) Northwestern 39, Michigan State 31 (OT)— Game was 17-all after regulation; Wildcats win in OT for second week in row, are now 5-3, and on their way to being pummeled by a better team in some obscure bowl game that I’ll watch because I’m an idiot.

Northwestern is 3-10 all-time in bowl games, but they have won two of their last three bowls.

3) Kentucky 29, Tennessee 26— Vols caught a Hail Mary on last play of the game, but the guy got tackled on the 3-yard line— this is Wildcats 2nd win in their last 33 games with Tennessee, the other win coming in 2011. It was also the 2nd time in last 21 meetings that Kentucky was the favorite— Vols covered the 5-point spread.

2) Nebraska 25, Purdue 24— Cornhuskers drove 70 yards in 8 plays in 1:08, scoring winning TD on a 13-yard pass with 0:14 left. Purdue led 25-12 with 12:00 left in the game.

1) USC 48, Arizona State 17– Trojans bounce back from last week’s loss at Notre Dame with a big conference win here. USC plays Arizona next week, and can pretty much clinch the Pac-12 South then.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Sunday, October 29

LA Dodgers @ Houston

Game 909-910
October 29, 2017 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Kershaw) 19.581
Houston
(Keuchel) 17.637
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-145
7
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-145); Over




MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 29

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LA DODGERS (113 - 61) at HOUSTON (110 - 67) - 8:15 PM
CLAYTON KERSHAW (L) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 2-2 (+0.0 Units) against HOUSTON this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. HOUSTON since 1997
KERSHAW is 4-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 0.950.
His team's record is 5-4 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.2 units)

DALLAS KEUCHEL vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
KEUCHEL is 0-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 1.049.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, October 29

Los Angeles @ Houston
Astros are 7-1 at home in playoffs, outscoring opponents 37-16. Dodgers are 9-3 in the playoffs, 4-2 on the road. Since 1903, the Game 3 winner is 72-40 in that World Series.

Kershaw is 3-0, 2.96 in his last four starts; under is 10-4 in his last 14 starts. Dodgers are 12-2 in his road starts this year. Kershaw allowed one run in seven IP in Game 1 of this series- he is 7-7, 4.21 in 22 career playoff games (18 starts).

Keuchel is 0-2, 5.56 in his last two starts; his last three starts stayed under. Houston is 8-5 in his home starts this season. Keuchel allowed three runs in 6.2 IP in Game 1 of this series- he is 4-2, 2.84 in seven career playoff games (6 starts).




MLB

Sunday, October 29

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Trend Report
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LA DODGERS @ HOUSTON
LA Dodgers is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing LA Dodgers

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LAD at HOU 08:00 PM

HOU +125 *****

U 7.0 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

— World Series has been tied 2-2 42 times; the Game 5 winner won 28 of those 42 World Series.

— Knicks 116, Denver 110— Porzingis had 38, Knicks are fun to watch. I wonder why?

— Celtics 108, Spurs 94— San Antonio lost its last three games.

— Warriors 141, Clippers 113— Game was 74-57 at half; Clippers had been #1 in defense.

— Chiefs 29, Broncos 19— Broncos are now 0-3 on the road; their QB’s are substandard.

— Happy birthday to former LSU hoop coach Dale Brown, who turns 82 today.


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Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……

13) New England traded backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers last night for a 2nd-round pick next April, but the 49ers’ 2nd-round pick figures to be the 33rd pick, pretty much a first round pick. Patriots don’t have a backup QB on their roster right now; would they be the team that signs Colin Kaepernick?

12) Following Twitter during the baseball game Sunday night was funny; people are so fickle, they overreact quickly and in a 13-12, 10-inning game, there is a lot to comment on.

11) One thing the great baseball game obscured was a pretty good football game in Detroit; Lions were putrid in red zone, scoring 9 points on five drives. Steelers’ JoJo Schuster-Smith caught a 97-yard touchdown pass, right after the Lions were stuffed on a goal-line stand by Pittsburgh.

10) Astros’ payroll this year is $124,343,900, broken down this way:
— Justin Verlander makes $28M a year, but he was only in Houston for a month, so his money isn’t included in the $124M figure you see up above.
— Other four starting pitchers made a combined $17,239,500 this season.
— Catcher Brian McCann makes $17M, DH Carlos Beltran makes $16M
— Yuli Gurriel, Josh Reddick made a combined $27.4M this season.
— Altuve/Springer/Correa/Bregman earned a combined $9.661,900 this season.

At some point, Astros have to shed some of these hitters and add pitching, or else we’re in for an endless stream of 13-12 playoff games. Gurriel/Reddick’s contracts seem excessive, Altuve is going to break the bank when he hits free agency (his agent is Scott Boras)

Seems logical that out of Correa/Springer/Bregman, two of them will wind up elsewhere.

Verlander is on the books for 2018 and 2019, both at $28M a season.

9) Detroit Lions gained 482 yards Sunday night but didn’t score a TD; only 1994 Bengals (496 yards vs Seattle) and ’86 49ers (501 yards vs Washington) gained more yards without scoring a touchdown.

8) Washington Nationals named Dave Martinez manager; he has been Joe Maddon’s right-hand man for several years……….Phillies named Gabe Kapler skipper- both guys are first-time major leaguer managers.

7) ESPN’s Mike Breen also does play-by-play for the Knicks on MSG Network; he is the best at what he does because he is fair and smart.

Monday night, Knicks’ Doug McDermott took a 3-pointer in transition with 0:06.9 left in first quarter; he made it, but Denver came down an hit a 3-pointer of their own at the buzzer to end the quarter. Breen simply said: “That is why coaches like to hold the ball to take the last shot of a quarter, so the other team can’t score.”

6) Boston Celtics got an $8.4M salary cap exemption because of Gordon Hayward’s injury; they have to use it by March 10.

5) College basketball starts next week; Missouri Valley Conference is going downhill, with both Creighton/Wichita State jumping ship in recent years. Missouri State/Illinois State are expected to be the Valley’s frontrunners this winter.

4) Houston Texans traded disgruntled LT Duane Brown to Seattle, for CB Jerome Lane, a 5th round pick next year and a 2nd round draft pick in 2019.

3) You wonder why baseball teams coddle pitchers? Because they only last so long— look at the career of Fernando Valenzuela— from age 19-25, Valenzuela was 99-68, with an ERA of 2.94- he threw 257+ innings five years in a row. He was box office gold, for sure.

From age 26-36, he went 74-85, with an ERA of 4.55, bouncing around between five teams. You only have so many pitches in your arm. Valenzuela threw 149 pitches in a playoff game when he was 20. If that happened today (it wouldn’t), heads would roll.

2) Ticket brokers apparently own 15,000 tickets to both Games 6-7 of the World Series; should Houston win Game 6, those brokers would lose out of a potential $20M in profits with no Game 7 to benefit from.

1) RIP Lewis D’Antoni, 103, who passed away this weekend; the father of Rockets coach Mike and Marshall coach Dan D’Antoni, Lewis D’Antoni was a coach himself— I saw him interviewed in the stands at a Marshall game a couple years ago, when he was 101. Lot of energy even then; he lived a full life. RIP, sir.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Tuesday, October 31

Houston @ LA Dodgers

Game 911-912
October 31, 2017 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Verlnder) 19.897
LA Dodgers
(Hill) 16.322
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-130
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+110); Over




MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 31

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HOUSTON (111 - 67) at LA DODGERS (113 - 62) - 8:15 PM
JUSTIN VERLANDER (R) vs. RICH HILL (L)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 53-53 (-17.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
VERLANDER is 64-77 (-25.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HOUSTON is 111-67 (+15.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 28-18 (+8.8 Units) against the money line on the road when the money line is +125 to -125 this season.
HOUSTON is 55-33 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 45-20 (+21.2 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 39-23 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 42-27 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VERLANDER is 35-12 (+19.1 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 13-5 (+8.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 106-125 (-35.7 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 149-108 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 33-27 (-14.9 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-2 (+1.1 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
VERLANDER is 2-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.05 and a WHIP of 0.700.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

RICH HILL vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HILL is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.85 and a WHIP of 1.098.
His team's record is 3-4 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-2. (+2.6 units)

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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 31

Houston @ Los Angeles
Astros are 2-5 on road in playoffs, outscored by opponents 42-21. Under is 7-5-1 in their last 13 games. Dodgers are 9-4 in the playoffs, 5-2 at home. Since 1903, the Game 5 winner when series was tied 2-2 is 28-14 in that World Series.

Verlander is 8-0, 1.45 in one starts for the Astros; he also won a game in relief. Four of his last five starts went over the total. Houston is 4-0 in his road starts. He is 1-0, 2.57 in two starts against the Dodgers this season and is 11-5 with a 3.28 RA in 21 career playoff games (20 starts).

Hill is 3-2, 2.14 in his last eight starts, 0-0, 2.77 in three playoff starts this month (13 IP total in 3 games). Three of his last four starts went over. Dodgers are 10-7 in his home starts; he is 1-2, 3.72 in seven career playoff starts, 0-0, 2.25 in one starts against the Astros this season.




MLB

Tuesday, October 31

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Trend Report
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HOUSTON @ LA DODGERS
Houston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
LA Dodgers is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
LA Dodgers is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston

[StarDust Bum]

World Series Game 6 betting preview and odds: Astros at Dodgers

Justin Verlander received a no-decision in Game 2 and has never won a World Series game, going 0-3 with a 6.43 in four career starts with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros.

Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers (-115, 7.5)

Astros lead series 3-2

Justin Verlander was acquired to bolster Houston's starting pitching for a postseason run and the veteran right-hander has a chance to pitch the Astros to their first World Series title when he faces the host Los Angeles Dodgers in Tuesday's Game 6. Verlander received a no-decision in Game 2 and has never won a World Series game, going 0-3 with a 6.43 in four career starts with the Detroit Tigers and Houston.

The 34-year-old Verlander has more than does his job since joining the Astros - he is 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 10 total appearances (nine starts) - but fully understands one more big outing is needed. "These games are what it's all about," Verlander told reporters Monday. "These are the moments that you want to be a part of as a baseball player. It's everything you could ask for." Houston is in position to clinch after Sunday's 13-12, 10-inning victory, the second wild game of a World Series featuring a record 22 homers. "Obviously, we want to be the last team standing on the field, win the last game of the season, that's the goal," Los Angeles third baseman Justin Turner said at a press conference. "But you have literally the two best teams in baseball are going at it. It's the clash of the titans right now, and I don't think there's a single moment of this season that will be unforgettable."

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX

LINE HISTORY: The moneyline for this critical Game 6 opened with the Dodgers as faily large home favorites at -125. Since opening last night the betting public has been on Verlander and the Astros, forcing books to drop the Dodgers down to the current number of -115. The total hit the betting boards at 7.5 and has yet to move.

WEATHER REPORT:

It should be another near perfect evening in Los Angeles.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Justin Verlander (4-0, 2.05 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Rich Hill (0-0, 2.77)

Verlander gave up just two hits in his Game 2 outing at Dodger Stadium but both were homers (to Joc Pederson and Corey Seager) as he gave up three runs in six innings. Not having a World Series win might be the lone thing missing from a stellar career resume that includes 11 career postseason victories. "As soon as the postseason starts, you're living or dying on every single pitch, and your whole team is living or dying on every single pitch," Verlander said. "It changes everything."

Hill was the recipient of a quick hook from manager Dave Roberts despite giving up one run and three hits and striking out seven in four innings in Game 2. Roberts hinted that Hill will have a longer leash in Game 6 and the 37-year-old proclaims himself ready for the task. "It's something that all of us have been preparing our entire careers for," Hill told reporters. "Going out there in Game 6 and having the ability to be in that position, and go out there and leave everything on the field, is just an amazing thought."

UMPIRE REPORT: Dan Iassogna

Dan Iassogna gets the home plate assignment Tuesday night for Game 6. During the 2017 season, home teams are an astronomical 21-7 (including one playoff game) which equates to a home winning percentage of 75 percent. In games in which the home team is -101 to -120 they went a perfect 6-0 with Iassogna calling balls and strikes.

TRENDS:

* Astros are 9-0 in Verlander's nine starts since joining the team.
* Dodgers are 5-1 in their last 6 playoff home games.
* Dodgers are 5-1 in Hill's last 6 starts.
* Over is 6-1 in Astro's last 7 road games vs. a left-handed starter.
* Astros are 2-7 in the last 9 meetings in Los Angeles.

CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the red-hot Verlander in Game 6, with 51 percent of wagers on the Astros. With another hot pitcher on the mound, bettors like the Under here with 51 percent of the totals wagers picking below the posted number.

WALK OFF NOTES:

* Dodgers' 1B Cody Bellinger is on a 4-for-7 roll with one homer, one triple and two doubles after opening the World Series with 13 hitless at-bats. Astros' OF George Springer reached base five times (three walks, one single, one homer) in Game 5 and has gone deep three times in the series.

[StarDust Bum]

WS Game 6 Best Bet
October 30, 2017

World Series Game 6 (FOX, 8:05 p.m. ET)
Astros lead series 3-2

There is no question that this 2017 World Series will go down as one of the best matchups ever regardless of who ends up winning it all as the drama in every game so far has been through the roof. Many thought the Astros and Dodgers couldn't be able to top the wild Game 2 they had with five extra innings HR's, but Game 5 definitely topped it with all the twists and turns it had.

Houston's 13-12 victory will go down as one of the best World Series games ever for those who love to see offensive baseball – whether the balls are juiced or not – and now Houston gets a chance to close things out in Game 6 with their prized stud 11th hour acquisition Justin Verlander on the hill.

Will Houston win the franchise's first ever championship or will these L.A Dodgers force a Game 7?

Sportsbetting.ag Odds: Houston (+105), L.A Dodgers (-115); Total set at 8

After suffering the loss in a historic Game 5, Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig made it known to reporters that he was guaranteeing there would be a Game 7 in this series. Whether or not that ends up being the case, you've got to admire Puig's brash confidence minutes after losing a wild Game 5, but with Verlander on the hill it will be tough.

With how dominant Justin Verlander has been in the postseason, he and the Astros definitely deserve to be laying a few cents here, but the Dodgers as a small home favorite in the ultimate “must win” spot will surely get support.

Yet, I'm not looking to make a play on the ML for Game 6 as there is no question it could go either way. If you have series futures bets pending from any other point in this series, stepping out and hedging your wagers is an option depending on who you've got already in your pocket. Personally, I liked and took Houston before the World Series began and while the hedging is available too me here, I'm going to let it ride for at least Game 6 and reassess should Puig's claim come true and we get a Game 7.

What I am looking to make a play on for Game 6 is on the total. The last thing everyone remembers about this series is how many HR balls we had in Game 5 – and the entire series quite frankly – and with both bullpens overexposed and taxed, expecting a lot of runs will be a common refrain here.

However, with Verlander and Rich Hill – who many debated was pulled way too early in Game 2 – on the hill, and both bullpens needing some rest, I expect both of these starters to live up to their managers wishes and pitch deep into the game. Nothing more needs to be said about how good Verlander has been, but after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took some heat for pulling Hill early in Game 2 to try and let his bullpen bring the game home, I don't think Roberts will make the same mistake again here, especially after basically his entire bullpen was used on Sunday night.

Secondly, no matter who was going to be on the rubber for this one, I'd have a tough time believing both offenses will shoot off as many fireworks as they did in Game 5. For one, it's a potential elimination game with a world championship on the line, and the series shifts back to pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium with last week's heat wave now moved on.

The pressure of the moment, the likelihood of some major offensive regression after Game 5, and the fact that we've got pitchers hitting in the order again all are boons to an 'under' play here.

Houston is on a 0-3-1 O/U run after scoring 5+ runs in their last outing and 8-19-3 O/U when facing a team that put up 5+ in their previous game. L.A has a 0-3-2 O/U run going in these playoffs following a day off and 1-4-1 O/U after scoring 5+ runs themselves last time out.

With umpire Dan Iassongna calling balls and strikes for this critical game,and his 1-3 O/U record in interleague affairs this year, and his 80-102-10 O/U mark behind the dish over the past five years, look for this game to be another instant classic for the 2017 World Series with the pitchers taking center stage and mowing down these flaming hot offenses with relative ease.

Odds per - Sportsbetting.ag

Best Bet: Under 8

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HOU at LAD 08:00 PM

HOU +110 *****

O 7.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Dodgers rally past Astros, force Game 7
October 31, 2017

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Latest on Game 6 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers (all times local):

8:43 p.m.

Chris Taylor, Corey Seager and the Los Angeles Dodgers sent this twist-and-turn World Series to Game 7, rallying against Justin Verlander to beat the Houston Astros 3-1 Tuesday night.

A comeback win in Game 6 on Halloween night gave fans at Dodger Stadium and beyond a true treat: A year after the Cubs beat Cleveland in a Game 7 thriller, the baseball season is going the distance.

Yu Darvish will start for Los Angeles. Astros manager A.J. Hinch didn't announce a starter before Game 6, wanting to see how things went. It will be Charlie Morton or Lance McCullers Jr., most likely.

Verlander dominated for five innings, but the Dodgers got him in the sixth. Chris Taylor hit a tying double and Corey Seager had a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead.

Joc Pederson hit his third Series homer in the seventh for insurance and took an animated trot around the bases. George Springer hit his fourth Series for Houston.

---

8:32 p.m.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are three outs away from beating Justin Verlander and forcing a decisive seventh game in the World Series.

Los Angeles is taking a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went against his pregame instinct and brought in closer Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning.

The Dodgers' usually dominant closer had struggled in similar situations in Game 2 and again in Game 5. Roberts claimed that he hoped to limit Jansen to three outs in this game.

But Jansen mowed down the Astros' 4-5-6 hitters with seven pitches in the eighth, pushing the Dodgers three outs closer to the 41st Game 7 in World Series history.

Charlie Culberson got a leadoff single in the eighth for Los Angeles to extend his improbable postseason run after spending most of the season in the minors, but Francisco Liriano struck out Cody Bellinger to strand two Dodgers.

---

8:10 p.m.

Joc Pederson hit a solo homer in the seventh, extending the Dodgers' lead to 3-1.

He connected on a 1-2 pitch from Joe Musgrove that landed in the left-field pavilion.

Kenta Maeda escaped a jam against the Astros in the top of the inning.

Tony Watson gave up a leadoff walk to Josh Reddick. Maeda came on and induced a fielder's choice grounder by pinch-hitter Evan Gattis.

George Springer singled when the ball eluded shortstop Corey Seager's diving backhand stab, putting runners on first and second. Alex Bregman flied out to center before Maeda got Jose Altuve on a groundout to third to end the threat.

---

7:31 p.m.

Chris Taylor looped an RBI double to key a two-run rally against Justin Verlander in the sixth inning that's put the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the Houston Astros 2-1.

Verlander was in complete control until the sudden burst. The Astros ace had allowed just one single and struck out eight in five innings before Los Angeles broke through.

Austin Barnes singled to open the sixth, Chase Utley was hit by a pitch, Taylor went the opposite way for his tying hit and Corey Seager delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

Dodger Stadium was going wild, with fans hoping to extend this World Series to Game 7. Not everyone was screaming with every pitch - looming in the Dodgers bullpen was ace Clayton Kershaw, loosening up just in case.

---

6:55 p.m.

The Houston Astros have chased Dodgers starter Rich Hill in the fifth inning, and Hill wasn't happy about it.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts again used an early hook on a starter, pulling Hill with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth. Hill had given up Brian McCann's leadoff single and Marwin Gonzalez's ensuing double, but then struck out Josh Reddick and Justin Verlander to get to the brink of escaping the jam.

Instead, Roberts ordered an intentional walk for George Springer and then came out to pull Hill, who appeared to turn his back on the manager. Hill then went to the dugout and furiously swatted cups off the Dodgers' cooler, sending them flying.

But reliever Brandon Morrow, pitching for the sixth time in eight days, calmly ended the rally with a groundout from Alex Bregman. Morrow has appeared in all but one of the Dodgers' 14 postseason games, and he was battered in Game 5 in Houston.

Verlander doesn't appear to need much run support, however. He retired the Dodgers in order again in the fifth, giving him five innings of one-hit ball. Houston still leads 1-0.

---

6:40 p.m.

Justin Verlander has seven strikeouts through four innings and the Astros lead the Dodgers 1-0 in Game 6.

The right-hander has retired eight consecutive batters since Yasiel Puig's single in the second.

Verlander retired the Dodgers' top three hitters in the fourth as a light drizzle fell. Corey Seager flied out to left before Verlander recorded back-to-back strikeouts of Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger.

Dodgers starter Rich Hill retired the side in the top of the inning.

---

6:13 p.m.

George Springer has homered again, connecting for a solo drive that's given the Houston Astros a 1-0 lead after three innings.

The shot was his fourth Springer Dinger of this Series. He went the opposite way with two outs in the third off Dodgers lefty Rich Hill.

Justin Verlander is looking sharp for the Astros. Showing off a mix of heat and hooks, he's allowed a mere single and struck out five.

---

5:58 p.m.

Dodgers fans have told Yuli Gurriel just what they think of him during Game 6 of the World Series.

Dodger Stadium ferociously booed the Houston first baseman during pregame introductions, and it got much louder during his first at-bat in the second inning. Dodgers starter Rich Hill even stepped off the rubber before his first pitch to Gurriel, allowing the booing to increase.

The choruses of boos only changed into a raucous cheer when Gurriel fouled out.

Dodgers fans clearly were disgusted by Gurriel's behavior during Game 3 in Houston. While speaking with teammates, the Cuban made a blatantly racist gesture and used an offensive Spanish term to refer to Los Angeles starter Yu Darvish, who is Japanese.

Gurriel apologized in a statement afterward, but wasn't suspended by MLB until 2018.

The Dodgers also got their first hit off Justin Verlander in the second inning when Yasiel Puig singled to center. The score stayed 0-0, but the Dodgers got Verlander to throw 23 pitches in the inning.

---

5:33 p.m.

Game 6 of the World Series is scoreless after the first inning at Dodger Stadium, with fastballing Justin Verlander and curveballing Rich Hill in control.

It was 67 degrees for the first pitch, way down from the 103 heat for the opener last week. It was cloudy, too, with the San Gabriel Mountains far behind the center field wall completely covered.

The fans were loud from the start. There were a few Halloween costumes in the crowd, not a lot. Most people in the park are hoping to see the home team dress up as champions after Game 7.

---

5:16 p.m.

The Dodgers brought out the star power before Game 6 of the World Series.

Throwing out the ceremonial first balls were longtime manager Tommy Lasorda and former ace Orel Hershiser. The 90-year-old Lasorda, a lefty who pitched for Brooklyn, underhanded his toss home. Lasorda was the skipper and Hershiser was the ace when the Dodgers won their last championship in 1988.

Waving big blue flags on top of the Dodgers' dugout were Ashton Kutcher and wife Mila Kunis. On top of the Astros' first base dugout were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Rob Lowe.

---

5:11 p.m.

There has been a moment of silence at Dodger Stadium for victims of the attack in New York that killed at least eight and seriously injured 11.

The Houston Astros, Dodgers and the sellout crowd stood before Game 6 of the World Series.

A man in a rented pickup truck drove into pedestrians and cyclists along a busy bike path near the World Trade Center memorial earlier in the day.

---

3:55 p.m.

What a difference a week makes in the weather at the World Series.

The temperature for first pitch on Tuesday night was forecast to be 67 degrees. That's 36 degrees cooler than last Tuesday when the mercury hit 103 for Game 1 in Los Angeles.

Skies were overcast and drizzle began falling about 1 1/2 hours before Game 6. Earlier in the day, light rain fell on Dodger Stadium and the grounds crew had the tarp covering the infield.

---

2:52 p.m.

A day before playing for a championship, a few of the Houston Astros went to see a team of champions.

Catcher Brian McCann bought a luxury suite at the Staples Center and took some Astros to see Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. Curry scored 31 points to lead the Warriors to a 141-113 romp.

''These guys all create that chemistry among themselves. And I've seen more guys, that's different, going out on the road, to dinners, to the games these guys play behind the scenes. So it doesn't surprise me at all with what McCann has brought, specifically in those type of things,'' manager A.J. Hinch said.

---

1:55 p.m.

Yuli Gurriel wanted to apologize in person. Yu Darvish said it wasn't necessary.

Major League Baseball suspended the Astros' Gurriel last Saturday, a day after he made a racist gesture toward the Dodgers' Darvish, a Japanese right-hander, during Game 3.

Darvish said before Game 6 on Tuesday that Gurriel contacted the Dodgers about meeting with him to apologize, but Darvish declined because he said he wasn't that mad at Gurriel.

The pitcher says he found out about the Cuba-born Gurriel pulling on the corners of his eyes after homering off Darvish when a Dodgers employee informed him in the dugout last Friday. Darvish says initially he didn't think it was going to be a big deal, but then he realized it was after the game. Gurriel also used a derogatory Spanish term in reference to Darvish.

Darvish says that he gets why baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred didn't impose Gurriel's suspension until the start of next season. But Darvish says he can't really judge whether five games is too much or too little.

Darvish would start Wednesday if the Dodgers can force a seventh and deciding game.

---

1:40 p.m.

Justin Turner is back at third base and hitting third in the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting lineup for Game 6 of the World Series, while the Astros juggled the bottom of their lineup.

Turner served as designated hitter in Game 5 after taking a grounder off a knee during Game 4.

Center fielder Chris Taylor leads off Tuesday night for the Dodgers, followed by shortstop Corey Seager, Turner, first baseman Cody Bellinger, right fielder Yasiel Puig, left fielder Joc Pederson, second baseman Logan Forsythe and catcher Austin Barnes. Left-hander Rich Hill starts.

Pederson had been the DH in the first two games in Houston before being dropped in Game 5. Kike Hernandez and Charlie Culberson are dropped.

Center fielder George Springer tops the Astros' order, followed by third baseman Alex Bregman, second baseman Jose Altuve, shortstop Carlos Correa, first baseman Yuli Gurriel, catcher Brian McCann, left fielder Marwin Gonzalez and right fielder Josh Reddick. Right-hander Justin Verlander is on the mound. McCann moves from last to sixth in the lineup and Reddick drops from sixth to last. Evan Gattis, who DH'd in the last game, drops out.

The Astros won 13-12 in 10 innings Sunday night take a 3-2 Series lead.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

NFL trends with Week 9 approaching…….

— Carolina covered twice in its last ten home games.

— Buffalo is 5-1-1 vs spread in its last seven games.

— Colts are 3-7-1 in last 11 games as a divisional road underdog.

— Bengals covered once in last six tries as a road underdog.

— Arizona is 4-14 vs spread in its last 18 games.

— Denver is 9-17 as a non-divisional road underdog.


**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings…….

13) First of all, our thoughts/prayers to the people who lost friends/family in New York City Tuesday afternoon, in another act of senseless violence.

Not sure what to say really, other than appreciate every day and hug the people you love and tell them you love them.

12) I’m not usually fond of beating a dead horse, but five minutes before the trade deadline Tuesday, Bengals/Browns agreed on a trade, with Cleveland sending 2nd/3rd round draft picks to Cincinnati for Cincy’s backup QB, AJ McCarron. Cleveland desperately needs a better QB

Cincinnati sent approval of the trade into the NFL office, but for whatever reason, the Browns sent their approval in late, and alas, the NFL wouldn’t approve the trade. There were murmurs on Twitter that the geniuses in Cleveland’s front office were celebrating the trade and simply neglected to do their job and send their approval into the NFL before 4pm, as the league’s rules require them to. Oy.

11) Like I said the other day, they should just fire all of them, the whole Browns’ front office. Their coaching staff and players deserve some help, don’t you think?

10) Miami Dolphins are 4-3 and are a playoff contender- they’re tied with Jacksonville for the second AFC Wild Card right now, but they traded their best RB Jay Ajayi to the Eagles Tuesday for a 4th-round draft pick.

9) Carolina Panthers sent WR Kelvin Benjamin to the Bills for 3rd and 7th-round picks.

8) Georgia-Alabama-Notre Dame-Clemson are the top four college football teams right now, as the countdown to the end of the regular season begins. Oklahoma/Ohio State are #5 and #6.

7) Denver Broncos turned the ball over 11 times in their last three games; you cannot win that way. Turnovers are a variable that makes picking NFL games so tough; Buffalo isn’t that good a team, but they’re +14 in turnovers, so they’re 5-2. Denver is -9 in its last three games, so they lost all three games.

Sometimes a QB is called “a game manager” and it sounds like an insult, but what it really means is that he doesn’t screw the game up by turning the ball over, and that is important.

6) The average lifespan of a $10 bill? 4.5 years, according to the TV show Pawn Stars.

5) It is interesting to watch TV and listen to political historians talk about current events and what will happen going forward, as far as investigations, witnesses flipping and then maybe charges being brought upon other people targeted by the prosecution.

If you watch Billions on Showtime, lot of the stuff that happened this week sounds familiar.

Hollywood scriptwriters must be smiling, as their future scripts get written for them.

4) If you’re ever having trouble sleeping late at night, NBA TV usually replays one of the better games of the night at 3am, a good way to kill some time while you’re heating up some milk or counting sheep until you can go back to sleep.

3) Phoenix Suns lost their first three games in embarrassing fashion, so they fired their coach and told Eric Bledsoe to go away until they could trade him- Bledsoe is/was one of their best players. A week later, and Bledsoe still hasn’t been traded- Suns are 3-1 since they changed coaches, but Bledsoe is still sitting there, collecting his $14,500,000 salary while working out, waiting to find out who his next employer will be.

2) Dodgers 3, Astros 1– I read this week where 15,000 Dodger season tickets are held by ticket brokers; this Game 7 means a possible total of $20M in income from selling those 15,000 tickets for tonight’s Game 7. Big business.

Game 7 will last a long time if it close, since managers will be panic mongers and there will be tons of pitching changes. Unusual World Series, entertaining, good for the sport.

1) Antonio Cromartie played cornerback for 11 years in the NFL, for four teams, mostly the Jets and Chargers. He has six children with his wife; he has also fathered eight other children, by seven different women. He has fathered three children since having a vasectomy and re-defines the term “productive player”.

So of course, in this day and age, Cromartie and family will soon star in a reality TV show that begins on the USA Network November 9. Back when I was a kid, the Brady Bunch was a big TV show, husband/wife remarrying— she had three daughters, he had three sons. This is the 2017 version of that. Wonder who will reprise Ann B Davis’ role as the maid.

Cromartie pays $330,000 a year in child support, so maybe he needs the money. I guess it’ll be interesting to see how many of the seven other women get included in the show.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday,November 1

Houston @ LA Dodgers

Game 913-914
November 1, 2017 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(McCllers) 16.739
LA Dodgers
(Darvish) 18.479
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Dodgers
by 1 1/2
11
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Dodgers
(-150); Over




MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday,November 1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (111 - 68) at LA DODGERS (114 - 62) - 8:15 PM
LANCE MCCULLERS JR. (R) vs. YU DARVISH (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MCCULLERS JR. is 11-19 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 79-35 (+25.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
HOUSTON is 111-68 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 55-34 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 45-21 (+20.2 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 39-24 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
HOUSTON is 85-40 (+27.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
HOUSTON is 44-22 (+11.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
HOUSTON is 42-28 (+9.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LA DODGERS are 156-180 (-64.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 107-125 (-34.7 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
LA DODGERS are 150-108 (-12.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
DARVISH is 16-18 (-11.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
DARVISH is 6-10 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-3 (+0.1 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

LANCE MCCULLERS JR. vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
MCCULLERS JR. is 1-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.298.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

YU DARVISH vs. HOUSTON since 1997
DARVISH is 5-6 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.77 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 8-7 (-4.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-5. (+1.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday,November 1

Houston @ Los Angeles
Astros are 2-6 on road in playoffs, outscored by opponents 45-22. Under is 8-5-1 in their last 14 games. Dodgers are 10-4 in the playoffs, 6-2 at home. Since 1903, the Game 5 winner when series was tied 2-2 is 28-14 in that World Series.

McCullers is 1-0, 3.27 in two playoff starts this fall; he closed out the ALCS with a 4-inning relief stint. Astros are 1-5 in his last six road starts. McCullers is 1-0, 5.06 in one start against LA this season— he is 1-0, 2.92 in five career playoff games (3 starts).

Darvish is 2-1, 4.15 in three playoff starts this fall; this will be only his second home start since Sept 8. He is 1-2, 4.84 in four home starts for the Dodgers, and is 2-3, 4.74 in five career playoff starts. Houston KO’d him in the second inning in Game 3 Friday night.




MLB

Wednesday,November 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON @ LA DODGERS
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing LA Dodgers
Houston is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games
LA Dodgers is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston
LA Dodgers is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games

[StarDust Bum]

World Series Game 7 betting preview and odds: Astros at Dodgers

Yu Darvish was dreadful when matched against Lance McCullers in Game 3 as he gave up four runs and six hits - including a homer by Yuli Gurriel - while lasting just 1 2/3 innings.

Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers (-160, 7.5)

Series tied 3-3

Either the Los Angeles Dodgers will end a 29-year title drought or the Houston Astros will celebrate their first World Series championship when the teams compete in Game 7 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday. The wild series that has featured a record 24 homers was extended to a seventh game Tuesday as the Dodgers posted a 3-1 victory.

Los Angeles solved Astros ace Justin Verlander in Game 6 and looks to ride the momentum when Yu Darvish takes the mound against Houston's Lance McCullers Jr. "You've got the two best teams in baseball going head-to-head," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts told reporters after Game 6. "Like we've talked about from the beginning, these two teams mirror one another. But we worked all year long to have home-field advantage, and here we are." The Astros hope a second chance will deliver the outcome they crave after seeing their offense get shut down on Tuesday. "Now it feels like we need to play seven," Houston manager A.J. Hinch told reporters after the setback. "I'm glad the series isn't over in their favor. But this series has been back and forth - and two incredible teams trying to get to the finish line."

TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, FOX

LINE HISTORY: The moneyline for Game 7 opened at -130 following Tuesday night's game, but by Wednesday morning the home team Dodgers had been bet all of the way up to -160. The total hit betting boards at 7.5 and has yet to move.

WEATHER REPORT:

Cloudy skies and temperatures in the low/mid 60's for Game 7.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 2.95 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Yu Darvish (2-1, 4.15)

McCullers was on hold for possible relief duty in Game 6, so he did his day-before throwing in right field following the conclusion of Tuesday's contest. The 24-year-old defeated the Dodgers in Game 3, when he gave up three runs and four hits with four walks over 5 1/3 innings. "I just have to stick with my game plan and execute a little bit better than last time in certain spots and just be a competitor out there," McCullers told reporters after Game 6.

Darvish was dreadful when matched against McCullers in Game 3 as he gave up four runs and six hits - including a homer by Yuli Gurriel - while lasting just 1 2/3 innings. "I can't pay that much attention to what happened last time," the Japanese Darvish said through his interpreter at a press conference. "Just focus on (Wednesday's) outing and have a good game." Darvish has served up seven homers in 24 2/3 career postseason innings, which includes his tenure with Texas.

UMPIRE REPORT: Phil Cuzzi

Phil Cuzzi gets the coveted home plate assignment for Game 7 of the World Series tonight.

Cuzzi is an umpire with a very pitcher-friendly strike zone. His strike percentage of 64.7 this season is one of the highest in baseball and Under is 18-14 in his 32 games calling balls and strike this season.

Cuzzi's results also favor the home team at 21-11 in 2017. An interesting note is that Cuzzi has two previous home plate assignments during the 2017 postseason - both at Dodger Stadium and both games that were won by the home team. In fact, dating back to 2014 the Dodgers have won six games in a row in which Phil Cuzzi has been behind the plate.

TRENDS:

* Astros are 1-5 in their last 6 road games.
* Astros are 2-8 in McCullers Jr.'s last 10 starts.
* Dodgers are 6-1 in their last 7 playoff home games.
* Astros are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings in Los Angeles.

CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the home team Dodgers in Game 7, with 60 percent of wagers on Los Angeles. Bettors also like the Over here with 69 percent of the totals wagers selecting above the posted number.

WALK OFF NOTES:

* This will be the first Game 7 between two 100-win clubs since the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Athletics in 1931.

* Houston RF George Springer (9-for-24, five walks) hit his fourth homer of the series on Tuesday and is one shy of the World Series record shared by Reggie Jackson (1977) and Chase Utley (2009).