The Houston Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the 2021 World Series on Wednesday, riding their league-leading offense to success. On Friday, the teams will match up in Game 3, with the series tied at 1-1. Houston sends rookie Luis Garcia to the mound at the outset. Atlanta counters with Ian Anderson as the team’s starting pitcher.
First pitch is at 8:09 p.m. ET in Atlanta. Caesars Sportsbook lists Atlanta as a -111 favorite (risk $111 to win $100) on the money line, while the over-under, or total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, is 8.5 in the latest Astros vs. Braves odds. There are also plenty of 2021 World Series props to consider. Before making any Braves vs. Astros picks or MLB predictions for the World Series 2021, you need to see what SportsLine’s No. 1 MLB expert John Bollman has to say.
Bollman combines MLB front-office experience with a deep statistical background. Bollman, who has a master’s degree in biostatistics, worked in the Toronto Blue Jays‘ analytics department in 2018, focusing on high-performance sports science and player development.
In his last 319 MLB picks, Bollman has gone 186-132-1, returning more than $5,900. Anyone who has followed his picks has seen huge returns.
Now, Bollman has set his sights on Game 3 of the Astros vs. Braves World Series matchup and just revealed his coveted MLB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his all of his World Series picks and analysis. Here are several MLB odds and World Series betting lines for Braves vs. Astros:
- Astros vs. Braves money line: Braves -111, Astros +101
- Astros vs. Braves over-under: 8.5 runs
- Astros vs. Braves run line: Braves -1.5 (+175)
- HOU: The Astros are 47-39 in 2021 road games
- ATL: The Braves are 47-38 at home this season
Featured Game | Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros
Why you should back the Astros
Houston’s offense speaks for itself, but the Astros also have a strong weapon in Garcia on the mound. The 24-year-old is the starting pitcher for Game 3, and he posted a 3.30 ERA across 30 appearances and 155.1 innings during the regular season. Those metrics are highly impressive for a rookie in the American League, and Garcia generated 9.68 strikeouts and only 2.90 walks per nine innings. Garcia is particularly unkind to right-handed batters, holding them to a .548 OPS, and the Braves rely on a few key bats from that side of the plate.
Beyond Garcia, the Astros have a solid bullpen and the best offense in baseball. Houston led MLB in runs scored, batting average and on-base percentage, and Yordan Alvarez has arguably been the best player in the 2021 MLB playoffs. He leads the postseason with 13 runs scored and 10 walks, with Alvarez also posting an absurd 1.299 OPS in 13 games.
Why you should back the Braves
Atlanta’s offense has been tremendous this season, scoring 790 runs and blasting 237 home runs during the regular campaign. The Braves led the NL in home runs (116) after the All-Star break, and Atlanta’s lineup features real star power with Freddie Freeman, Austin Riley and Ozzie Albies. In the 2021 postseason, though, Atlanta has been keyed by Eddie Rosario. The veteran outfielder owns a .426 batting average with 33 total bases in 47 playoff at-bats, posting a .702 slugging percentage and carrying the offense.
With a right-hander on the hill for the Astros, Rosario projects to hit in the leadoff spot and, with power behind him, the Braves are dangerous. Atlanta also has a starting pitcher Anderson with an impressive playoff track record, as the youngster owns a 1.47 career ERA in the postseason.
How to make Braves vs. Astros picks
Bollman is taking the over 2.5 on total bases for Michael Brantley as one of his favorite Astros vs. Braves props. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the money line, and he’s locked in several other strong 2021 World Series prop bets. You can only see his MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Braves vs. Astros in Game 3 of the 2021 World Series? And what critical X-factor makes one side of the money line a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of Braves vs. Astros you need to jump on Friday, all from the expert that has crushed his MLB picks, and find out.
