Atlanta vs Houston: Astros don’t know how to fail 2 play-off matches in a row

Game 3 of the 2021 World Series ended with a win for Atlanta. The Braves, having won one out of two games in Houston earlier, took the lead. The Astros' position became quite difficult. Dusty Baker's team needs to win game 4 by all means. Can Houston do it? Let's pick a few options to bet on. 

As expected, Ian Anderson, the starting pitcher on the mound in Game 3 of the series, has done an excellent job. Not only did the 23-year-old pitcher not allow Houston to score in five innings, but he also did not allow a single hit. Even such an experienced team as the Astros were baffled by the pitcher's relentless dominance. As a result, the Texans did nothing against the relievers either. And while they did manage to strike out two batters in the second half, they had very little to show for it. The first was the result of a monstrous error in the outfield by Eddie Rosario. The Braves left fielder's miscue was perhaps the only bad defensive performance by Brian Snitker's team in this game.

Despite the great play of starter Ian Anderson, the quality work of the relievers, and the overall great performance of the defense, it wasn’t an easy win for Atlanta. The Astros were also very careful on defense and kept the intrigue alive until the very end. The key moment in the 8th inning was when Travis D'Arnaud hit a home run up the middle for the 1-0 lead. 2-0 - Atlanta takes a strategic lead in the World Series.

It was unexpected to see such a toothless offensive game from the Astros. Needless to say, Houston is the one with the best offense in the MLB right now. Dusty Baker's team finished first on offense in the regular season and confirmed this status in the playoffs until the third game of the World Series. What must be even more frustrating for the Texans is that a 23-year-old pitcher, albeit incredibly talented, destroyed them.

Now Houston needs to win Game 4 of the series by all means. Going into Game 5, also in Atlanta, at 1-3 is a daunting prospect for the Astros. The legendary Zack Greinke is the starting pitcher for the upcoming, largely decisive game. The 38-year-old pitcher has certainly given up a lot lately, but it's clear that with his tremendous experience, he is an invaluable asset to his team in the key moment of the season.

Atlanta leads the series 2-1. 

Atlanta has not yet given out information about who will start on the pitching hill in Game 4 of the finals. But it doesn't really matter that much for the prediction. The Astros have nothing else to do but to win the upcoming match. Dustin Baker’s team didn’t end up in such a position through the loss in Game 3 of the series – it happened because they gave up one of their two starts in Houston to their opponent. So the Astros, by and large, don't really care that much who they pitch against in Game 4. Besides, the league's best offense can get to any pitcher. It's unlikely that the Astros will have a second consecutive losing game. Theoretically, it is possible, but in practice, it hasn't happened much over the past few seasons.

Prediction: Houston will make up for their loss to even the score in the series.

Betting options:

• Houston Individual Total Over (4.5) for 2.10;
• Houston To Win for 1.90;
• Total Over (8.5) for 1.76.