Astros vs Braves World Series Game 3 Odds, Picks, and Predictions
- The Houston Astros visit the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the World Series on Friday (October 29th, 8:09 pm ET)
- Houston will give the ball to Luis Garcia (1-1, 9.64 ERA), while Atlanta will counter with Ian Anderson (1-0, 2.25 ERA)
- Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction
The World Series is even at 1. Houston squared the best-of-7 series on Wednesday with a convincing 7-2 home victory over Atlanta, in front of a jam packed Minute Maid Park.
The two teams will enjoy on off day on Thursday, before the series resumes with Game 3 on Friday night (October 29th) in Atlanta.
Astros vs Braves Game 3 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | -102 | -1.5 (+168) | O 8 (-110) |
| Atlanta Braves | -116 | +1.5 (-205) | U 8 (-110) |
Odds as of Oct. 28th at FanDuel.
The Braves opened as a -116 moneyline favorite, in a game that features a total of 8. First pitch is scheduled for 8:09 pm ET at Truist Park, with a chilly night for baseball on deck. The forecast currently calls for clear skies and 50 degree night time temperatures.
Probable Pitchers
The hometown Braves will give the ball to Ian Anderson, who’s pitched well so far this postseason. The 23-year-old has allowed two runs or less in all three of his starts, although the length of his outings is a slight concern. Anderson has gotten out of the 5th inning in only one of his playoff starts, lasting 4 and 3 innings respectively in his last two outings.
Ian Anderson will take the ball for the first World Series game in Atlanta since 1999.#WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/l5UfFWfrqd
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) October 28, 2021
Last time out, he scattered just thee hits and a single run to the LA Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS, racking up four strikeouts and a walk.
He was brilliant in last year’s playoffs, posting a pair of wins, with a 0.96 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, and is undefeated in seven career playoff starts. He’s never faced the Astros during his brief two year career, but he’ll need to bring his best stuff if he wants to silence the mighty Houston bats.
A night after being held to only two runs, the Astros exploded with seven runs and nine hits in Game 2, jumping out to a 5-1 lead after just two innings. Houston has now crossed the plate at least five times in all but two of its 12 postseason contests.
Garcia vs Anderson 2021 Playoff Stats
| 1-1 | Record | 1-0 |
| 9.64 | ERA | 2.25 |
| 1.61 | WHIP | 1.08 |
| .261 | OBA | .200 |
| 1.7 | SO/W Ratio | 3.0 |
Houston will counter with Luis Garcia, who rebounded from a pair of dismal postseason starts last time out. Facing Boston in a potential ALCS clinching game, Garcia shutout the Red Sox over 5.2 innings, allowing only a single hit. He stuck out seven Boston hitters, while yielding just a single walk, en route to a 5-0 victory.
Luis Garcia, 97mph 🔥 pic.twitter.com/F13BRBMH5R
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 23, 2021
The outing was his first strong start in his last four appearances, after getting shelled by the Red Sox earlier in the ALCS, and struggling versus the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS, and against the Tampa Bay Rays in his final regular season start. Garcia had allowed 16 runs in his previous 8.2 innings, and will face a stiff test from this Atlanta lineup that he has no experience against.
2021 Playoff Batting Average
| Astros Batters | Batting Average in ’21 Playoffs | Braves Batters | Batting Average in ’21 Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Altuve | .178 | Ozzie Albies | .277 |
| Yordan Alvarez | .432 | Austin Riley | .244 |
| Michael Brantley | .340 | Eddie Rosario | .465 |
| Alex Bregman | .256 | Dansby Swanson | .244 |
| Martin Maldonado | .065 | Adam Duvall | .231 |
| Carlos Correa | .275 | Freddie Freeman | .297 |
| Kyle Tucker | .295 | Travis d’Arnaud | .200 |
| Yuli Gurriel | .349 | Joc Pederson | .273 |
The Braves were limited to two runs and seven hits in Game 2, but now return home where they boasted a higher batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS than on the road.
Astros vs Braves Pick
We were on the over in Game 2 and I see no reason not to double down in Game 3 given the total has actually shrunk. These were two of the eight highest scoring teams in the Majors during the regular season, and each has shown a sky-high offensive ceiling in the playoffs.
The Astros won their 7th game by 5+ runs this postseason, tying the 2007 Red Sox for the most such wins in a single postseason all-time. pic.twitter.com/ExIiMKhgTO
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 28, 2021
The Astros’ lineup in particular has been lights out. Atlanta’s bullpen performed well to contain them in Game 1 after Charlie Morton’s freak injury, but things could have gone a lot differently if Houston had capitalized on its opportunities.
The Astros were just 1-for-9 (.111) with runners in scoring position in Game 1, compared to batting .267 in those instances during the regular season.
Houston is going to continue to put runners in scoring position, just like they did 12 times in Game 2, and we should expect positive regression to come their way.
Pick: Over 8 (-110)
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
