Originally posted on CBS Sports | Last updated 10/28/22
The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros are set to play Game 1 of the 2022 World Series on Friday night at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. The Astros will be vying for their second championship in the last six years and second in franchise history, while the Phillies are looking to reach the top of the MLB heap for the first time since 2008 and for the third time in franchise history. The Astros reached the Fall Classic by sweeping the Yankees in the ALCS. Across the league, the Phillies took down the Padres in five games in the NLCS.
In this series, the Astros come in as the heavy favorites. That’s because during the regular season Houston topped Philly by 19 games in the standings and by 157 runs in run differential. Yes, the Phillies played the tougher schedule as measured by opponents’ average winning percentage, but that’s not enough to make up the aforementioned gaps. As well, the Astros come in more rested — they’ve played seven playoff games to Philly’s 12 — and they have home-field advantage.
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