The Major League Baseball season was cut from its 162-game marathon to just 60 matches per team this year, but the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays will be raring to go when the World Series starts on Tuesday.
The Dodgers will be looking for their first victory in the Fall Series since 1988 and will be mindful that this is their third appearance in the last four years.
Consequently, expectations are high and they are 10/21 to claim glory.
Tampa Bay, 7/4 to win the World Series, have made only one appearance in the showpiece before, when they were beaten 4-1 by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.
However, their strong defence means they should be no pushovers for their star-studded rivals, particularly as the series will be played in its entirety at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Progress Was No Cakewalk
While the two combatants had the best regular-season records – the Dodgers won 43 of their 60 matches while the Rays were the next best with 40 – they have both been made to battle to reach the Fall Series.
The Rays looked to be cruising in the American League Championship Series when they were 3-0 up in their seven-game battle with the Houston Astros, but they needed a 4-2 win in Game Seven to get through.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, were staring down the barrel at 3-1 down against the Atlanta Braves, only to pull off a great comeback. However, they should be confident after beating the San Diego Padres and the Braves in the postseason as they had the second and third-best records in the regular National League campaign.
Their positive run differential of 136 was easily the best in the MLB (the Padres were the next best with 84) so it is easy to see why they are favourites to win the Series, especially as they have already played two series’ in Arlington.
Game One Looks Intriguing
The runs-total line for Tuesday’s game one is just 7.5, which is down to the quality of the starting pitchers.
Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw is renowned as the best to play in the last ten years, although he will be anxious to prove he can perform on the biggest stage. He has had 23 strikeouts in 19 postseason innings and is 20/33 to have seven or more in Game One.
The Rays, meanwhile, will call upon 6ft 8in Tyler Glasnow, who was excellent in the regular season but has given up ten earned runs and six home runs in this year’s playoffs. He is 21/20 to allow more than 2.5 earned runs.
On the other side of the ball, keep an eye out for Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena, who was the MVP in the ALCS clash with the Astros. He has scored seven home runs in 14 postseason appearances and is 13/5 to claim on in the opening clash.
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts hit 16 HRs in the regular season. He is 10/3 to hit a Game One homer and 10/11 to claim more than 1.5 bases.
*All odds correct at time of writing