What a turn of events.
The Braves held a four-run lead in the first inning of a possible World Series decider on Sunday and looked headed for the first title in 26 years.
The Astros offense then came to life (like the Undertaker GIF) and showed off their championship pedigree by rallying for a 9-5 victory.
That change in momentum puts the Braves in a tough spot heading into Houston, where the Astros are 5-2 this postseason.
The Braves are turning to left-hander Max Fried (1-2, 5.40 postseason ERA) and the Astros are projected to start Luis Garcia (1-2, 7.62 postseason ERA).
The Houston rally burned our experts on Sunday, but they are looking to bounce back. Jen Piacenti and Matt Ehalt are here with their Game 6 picks.
Check the odds in SI Sportsbook
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
MONEY LINE: ASTROS (-125); BRAVE (+105)
Nice: Okay, full disclosure – I just got tickets to Game 7, so you might see a theme with my picks. It’s very interesting to me that the Astros are the favorites, considering the Braves have Fried as a starter and the Astros will likely turn to Garcia on a short break.
But of course I’m going with the Astros at home.
Just like in Game 2, I think the Astros can take some shots at Fried. They hit lefties well and should be able to build on the momentum they started in Atlanta. The lineup adjustments Dusty Baker made (almost too late) lit a spark, and I bet the home crowd and the return of the designated hitter will help the Astros reach Game 7.
Ehalt: I thought Atlanta had finished this series when Adam Duvall hit that grand slam. Now, go back to, ‘Oh no, Atlanta is going to Atlanta?’
For some reason, I have more faith that the Braves can win Game 7 than Game 6. Fried is fading and the Astros crush lefties. The Braves’ bullpen finally faltered.
Garcia also doesn’t instill faith, especially since he’s on a short break, but Houston’s offense has finally come to life. Let’s take Game 7 of forcing the Astros.
RUNNING LINE: BRAVOS +1.5 (-188); ASTROS -1.5 (+155)
Nice: If I go for the Astros, I can also go big.
I never like to bet the race line, but in this case, I can’t turn down +155. Go big or go home. Yordan Alvarez wakes up, Alex Bregman finds his bat and Jose Altuve hits a first pitch home run in his second at bat. (Too bold?)
Ehalt: The team that won each game won on the race line. I will take Houston, so I will also take the Astros on the race line.
UP / DOWN: 9; LOW (-118); MORE THAN (+100)
Nice: Garcia will have a short break, the Astros hit lefties well and Sunday’s game had a total of 20 hits. The previous game, which ended 3-2 with the Braves, had a total of 16 hits.
The problem has not been a success, it has been a timely success. If either team can just hit RISP, this is easily over.
Ehalt: I finally decided to take the shots from below and above. Sigh. (Do I get credit for pointing out that the over would, of course, be right once I went against it?)
I like him here again, especially since I’m not sure any of the starters are going to close the lineups. Houston’s offense has performed well at Minute Maid Park both during the regular season and in the postseason, and may be back in shape.
Postseason games at Minute Maid Park have averaged 9.29 runs.
John David Mercer / USA TODAY Sports
MONEY LIMIT AFTER 5 INNINGS: ASTROS (-133); BRAVE (+105)
Nice: Stay with the home team. Sorry about the topic here, but listen: these are great seats.
Ehalt: The team that has led after five has won all but one game in this series (Game 4), although it barely managed to collect last night when Houston rallied for three runs in the fifth inning. Let’s stick with the odds and take Houston.
PLAYER SUPPORT: 0.5 RUNS SCORED
Nice: I will take over from Yuli Gurriel scoring 0.5 runs at +135.
If the lineup changes, I like Kyle Tucker and Bregman with an RBI, and the AL batting champion should be on base.
I like this accessory because each player has more money and we know that someone has to score, unlike an HR, what may or may not happen in any ball game.
Ehalt: With this game being played in an American League park, I’m not so concerned about the end of the order that the guys don’t score.
Travis d’Arnaud is having a solid series and I like his odds of +185. He has scored in three of the five games. I think there is decent potential here with great odds.
I’d rather shoot a player with that kind of odds (for this bet) than chase the safest payout with one of the best hitters.
Check the odds in SI Sportsbook
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.