Two top-of-the-line starters with high strikeout rates and low walk rates facing two offenses that fare much better against lefties than righties? I'm not overthinking this one too much. Justin Verlander and Aaron Nola will control this one, and I don't see the winning team needing more than three runs.

I've gone back and forth (i.e. in taking the Phils runline) on this presuming that Zack Wheeler would start for the Phillies on normal rest, but in perhaps a minor surprise it will be Aaron Nola instead. Don't get me wrong, he's excellent and was dominant in Houston on Oct. 3, but the Astros also had nothing to play for then. I just think there's a better chance of Nola faltering than Wheeler -- and Nola wasn't good in the NLCS. Houston hasn't announced its starter as of this writing but it will be stunning if it's not Justin Verlander.

The Astros have won nine straight, a streak that started in the last two games of the regular season against the Phillies. The Phillies won the first game of that series. Justin Verlander won the second game, 10-0, to start the streak. But the Phillies' hot bats make a great argument. The Phillies stole Game 1 of the NLDS at Atlanta and Zack Wheeler beat the Padres 2-0 in Game 1 of the NLCS at San Diego. Take the Phillies to win Game 1 at Houston.