After a pair of seven-game League Championship Series, Major League Baseball is at last ready for the World Series, pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Tampa Bay Rays. Interestingly, Dodgers general manager Andrew Friedman was the general manager of the Rays for a decade before coming west. The World Series begins on Tuesday night, from Globe Life Field, making this the first neutral-site World Series in MLB history. The Dodgers came back from a 3-1 deficit to knock off the Atlanta Braves, while the Tampa Bay Rays took a 3-0 lead over the Houston Astros, only for Houston to come back and tie the series before Tampa Bay won Game 7.
Let’s take a look at the Series opener as you consider your MLB betting options.
MLB: World Series Game 1 Preview
Why should you bet on the Dodgers?
If Clayton Kershaw is the Dodgers’ starter, then it looks like Austin Barnes will likely be the catcher. That could leave Will Smith as the designated hitter; he raked in the NLCS. Tyler Glasnow looks like the starting pitcher for Tampa Bay in Game 1, as he warmed up Saturday in Game 7 and was ready to come in for the ninth inning, but Pete Fairbanks didn’t need any help finishing. Glasnow posted a 5-1 record and a 4.08 ERA in the regular season and has gone 2-1 with a 4.66 ERA in his four playoff starts. We anticipate this lineup if Barnes catches and Kershaw starts on the mound:
Mookie Betts (RF)
Corey Seager (SS) (NLCS MVP)
Justin Turner (3B)
Max Muncy (1B)
Will Smith (DH)
Cody Bellinger (CF)
A.J. Pollock (LF)
Chris Taylor (2B)
Austin Barnes ©
The Dodgers have Kenley Jansen back on track, as the closer has put together a pair of solid outings to get the manager’s trust back. Lefty Victor Gonzalez and righties Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Pedro Baez should all be available to contribute, although Treinen carried the heaviest load of the three in the NLCS.
Why should you put your money on the Rays?
It looks like Clayton Kershaw will start the World Series opener for the Dodgers. He has been the Dodgers’ ace for a long time, but it’s hard to argue that he is the most dominant pitcher on their staff anymore, as he has lost speed on his fastball. He’s still one of the great pitchers in baseball, but he’s been getting torched in recent postseasons. If Kershaw starts, this is a likely lineup for Tampa Bay:
Manuel Margot (RF) (with five home runs in this postseason and a .274 career average against lefties)
Brandon Lowe (2B)
Randy Arozarena (LF) (the ALCS MVP)
Ji-Man Choi (1B)
Yandy Diaz (DH)
Joey Wendle (3B)
Willy Adames (SS)
Kevin Kiermaier (CF)
Mike Zunino (C) (with two postseason home runs of his own out of the nine-hole)
The Rays should be able to get to Kershaw. He last started in Game 4 of the NLCS and was charged with four runs, giving up a pair of doubles. He has not shown as much stamina in recent years as far as going deep into games, so the Rays should get into the L.A. bullpen by the middle of the game. The Rays aren’t shy about going to the bullpen, and the Rays are 36-1 this year when they lead after six innings. But can they shut down the Dodger bats?
Final Score and Prediction
The Rays and Dodgers both had to deal with some hot-hitting teams in their league championship series. The Astros and the Braves are both teams that can score in bunches, but the Rays and Dodgers were able to put out fires when they needed to. I’m worried about Glasnow’s large ERA, and I see the Dodgers doing more damage in the opener. I predict a score of Los Angeles 7, Tampa Bay 5.
MLB | Game Details
Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
8:09 pm ET
FOX
ESPN Radio
MLB | Game Odds
Dodgers -160 ML
Total: 8
MLB | Where to Bet
MLB Betting Odds
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