Braves vs. Astros: The best player prop bets for World Series Game 1

You’re not alone if you didn’t think the Astros would be playing meaningful baseball in late October. Houston entered the season with +2200 odds to win the World Series and were counted out by many pundits who felt they lacked pitching depth and were too reliant on aging stars.

Fast forward six months later and the Astros are now the prohibitive favorites to win their second World Series title since 2017. Their return to baseball’s biggest stage was powered by a phenomenal +205 run differential and featured huge bounceback seasons from All-Star double play partners Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa.

Houston now faces a scrappy underdog in the Braves. Atlanta just barely managed to get out of the NL East, but showed tremendous grit by finishing off the Milwaukee Brewers in four games and downing the heavily favored Los Angeles Dodgers in six. The Braves’ offense hasn’t always been electric, but Freddie Freeman & Co. have managed to get big hits when they’ve needed them most.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:09 p.m. ET, and we have the three best player prop bets below.

Eddie Rosario Over/Under 0.5 hits

Just how good was Eddie Rosario against the Dodgers? The 30-year-old outfielder had four multi-hit games and tied an MLB record for most hits in a single postseason series. So, yeah, pretty darn good.

Rosario is presently hitting .474 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in October and has one hit in three appearances against Astros Game 1 starter Framber Valdez. That’s not much of a sample size, but do you really want to bet against a guy whose name is now in the record books alongside Albert Pujols?

Grab some popcorn and take the Over.

Over 0.5 hits (-230)

Charlie Morton Over/Under 4.5 strikeouts

There was never any doubt that Charlie Morton would get the ball in Game 1. The two-time All-Star led all Braves starters this season in games, innings, strikeouts, and WHIP, and tied Max Fried for most victories with 14.

As a member of the Astros’ 2017 World Series-winning team, Morton also has an excellent feel for Houston’s line-up, and will use his insider knowledge to keep batters on their toes. It’s no coincidence that Jose Altuve is batting just .200 against him lifetime.

So, how many strikeouts can we expect from Morton on Tuesday? The cagey 14-year vet averaged 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings during the regular season and has rung up at least five batters in each of his three outings this October. He’s coming off of six days of rest and will likely get all the innings he needs to comfortably surpass the Over.

Pick: Over 4.5 strikeouts (-121)

Yordan Alvarez Over/Under 0.5 hits

Perhaps the only player having a better postseason than Rosario is Yordan Alvarez. The Astros DH hit .522 with one home run, five extra-base hits, and six RBIs against the Red Sox to claim ALCS MVP honors. It was the icing on the cake for a slugger who bounced back from an injury-plagued 2020 to record career-highs in doubles (35), homers (33), and RBIs (104).

Alvarez has only faced Morton twice, but he tagged him for a double in one of those at bats and is coming off an explosive 4-4 performance against Boston on Friday night. He’s unlikely to be perfect at the plate again, but he’s too hot to keep off the bases altogether.

Pick: Over 0.5 hits (-200)