The Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros are set to kick off the 2021 World Series with Tuesday night’s Game 1 in Houston. The Astros, by virtue of having the better regular-season record, have home-field advantage in the matchup and will host Games 1 and 2 (and potentially Games 6 and 7) at Minute Maid Park. The Game 1 pitching matchup sees Atlanta veteran righty Charlie Morton square off against Houston left-hander Framber Valdez.
The Braves, appearing in their first World Series since 1999, reached this point after dispatching the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series, and then the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. The Astros won their third pennant in five years by toppling a pair of Sox: the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS, and the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS.
With that throat-clearing out of the way, let’s get to the important stuff — like how you can watch Tuesday night’s game.
How to watch
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 26 | Time: 8:09 p.m. ET
Location: Minute Maid Park (Houston)
TV: FOX | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: ATL +120; HOU -130; O/U: 8 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Starting pitchers: Charlie Morton (ATL) vs. Framber Valdez (HOU)
Featured Game | Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves
Preview
Morton is appearing in his third career World Series, having previously pitched in Fall Classics with the Astros (winning in 2017) and the Rays (losing in 2020). During the regular season, he started 33 times and accumulated a 3.34 ERA (132 ERA+) and a 3.72 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Valdez had the lowest average launch angle against of any starter this season. In other words, he’s highly adept at generating groundballs. That skill helped him post a 3.14 ERA (137 ERA+) and a 2.16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 22 regular season starts. Valdez was the only member of the Astros to record at least 21 outs during the ALCS, so the pressure is on him to set a proper tone for the World Series.
Prediction
There’s an old saying that it isn’t a series until the road team wins a game. For maximum entertainment value, why don’t we make this one a series right off the bat?
Pick: Braves 5, Astros 4
