posted October 28, 2009 at 18:31 EST in MLB Free Picks
World Series Game 1 Betting - Phillies vs. Yankees
Game-day: 10/28/2009
First-pitch: 7:55 pm EST
The Phillies put away the Dodgers last week and the Yankees put away the Angels just this past Sunday to set up the 2009 World Series. Two East Coast powerhouse teams will take the diamond in hopes of winning a championship. The Phillies won the 2008 World Series and have proven, by returning in 2009, that teams can string together two fantastic seasons in MLB. Bringing up Yankees’ history would require writing a book, so let’s just say that the New York Yankees are without a doubt the most successful American sports franchise in the history of the United States.
Neither the Phillies nor the Yankees will be biding their time in this World Series. On Wednesday, in Game 1, the Yankees send their ace, C.C. Sabathia to the mound. The Phillies will counter with their ace, Cliff Lee. Both Sabathia and Lee have been absolutely terrific in this post-season.
Cliff Lee has pitched in three games during this post-season. In those three games he has pitched 24 1/3rd innings and has allowed only 14 hits and 4 runs for an ERA of .74. Sabathia has been almost as good pitching 22 2/3rd innings allowing 17 hits and 4 runs for a 1.19 ERA.
Which pitcher will prove to be in hot water in this Game 1 of the 2009 World Series? Before getting to that, below are the baseball betting odds in the MLB sportsbook.
Philadelphia Phillies +155 O 8 -110
New York Yankees -175 U 8 -110
Besides great pitching, each one of the teams in this year’s World Series sports a great batting line-up.
Ryan Howard who has hit the ball extremely well in the post-season leads the Phillies. In 31 at bats, Howard has hit 2 home runs and driven in 14 runs. His batting average is a solid .355. As Howard goes, so do the Phillies who count on his power to get them the runs they need in order to win games.
The Yankees are similar in the sense that they count on Alex Rodriguez to drive in runs and score. Rodriguez has been better than Howard in the post-season, batting .438 with 5 home runs and 12 RBIs.
The big difference between A-Rod and Howard, particularly in this Game 1, is that A-Rod has a better supporting cast. With Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Derek Jeter and Mark Texeira backing him up, Rodriguez doesn’t have to hit home runs or score for the Yankees to win.
The Phillies need Howard to produce to win in Game 1 because Sabathia counteracts any advantage that Cliff Lee has on the mound. Lee and Sabathia will cancel each other out meaning the team that wins Game 1 will be the one that can score at will.
That team is the Yankees who will no doubt give Sabathia a clear lead after only a few innings in this game. The Yankees’ batters know Lee from his days with the Cleveland Indians. Sabathia is still relatively unknown to many of Philadelphia’s hitters.
In a game where the pitching cancels each other out, the best thing baseball bettors can do is to wager on the team with the best hitters.
