The 2021 World Series begins with a pitching matchup between a player who helped the Houston Astros win the Fall Classic in 2017 and the American League champion's new postseason ace. 

Atlanta will send Charlie Morton to the hill to oppose Framber Valdez in Game 1 on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.

Valdez is coming off one of the best pitching performances of the 2021 postseason, while Morton will pitch on one week of rest. Morton was slated to start NLCS Game 7, but Atlanta took care of the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. 

Morton did not allow more than three earned runs in his three postseason starts for the National League winner. A similar outing is required to match Valdez, if Houston's ace pitches like he did in his eight innings of ALCS Game 5 against the Boston Red Sox. 

The full rest for both pitchers could lead to a low-scoring affair, one in which the strikeout props for both hurlers could be in play. 

World Series Game 1 Odds

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Money Line: Houston (-140; bet $140 to win $100); Atlanta (+120; bet $100 to win $120)

Run Line: Houston (-1.5)

Over/Under: 8.5

Prop Bet Predictions

Framber Valdez Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+120)

The strikeout prop for both starting pitchers sits at over/under 4.5, but Valdez's number carries more juice than Morton at -125. 

Valdez is coming off an eight-inning gem against the Red Sox in which he gave up one earned run on three hits and struck out five batters. 

The left-handed hurler has 39 career postseason strikeouts, and he recorded five or more in five of his seven appearances. 

Valdez is going up against a power-heavy Atlanta lineup that struck out on 68 occasions over six games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Austin Riley and Adam Duvall, who are regulars in the middle of Atlanta's order, were responsible for 19 of those 68 strikeouts. Freddie Freeman and Joc Pederson sat down eight times each in the NLCS. 

Valdez has the advantage of unfamiliarity in Tuesday's game. He has never pitched against Atlanta in his career. It may take one or two at-bats for the Atlanta hitters to pick up on Valdez's tendencies in person. 

If Valdez stays on the mound through five or six innings, he should reach the five-strikeout mark. He hit that threshold in all but one of his five postseason starts that lasted five innings or longer. 

Jorge Soler Over 0.5 Hits (-165)

Jorge Soler returned to the Atlanta lineup in NLCS Game 5. He missed the first four games while in COVID-19 protocol.

Soler had an on-fire bat in the second half of the regular season after he was acquired from the Kansas City Royals before the MLB trade deadline. 

Soler hit five home runs and drove in 16 teammates in September as Atlanta pulled away from the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East. 

The 29-year-old outfielder could be important for Atlanta for a few reasons in Game 1. He has tremendous splits against left-handed pitching and is one of the few hitters who faced Valdez before. 

Soler went 1-for-2 against Valdez in 2019. It is a small sample size, but it is still better than what most of the Atlanta roster has to offer. 

Soler produced a better OPS, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and batting average against left-handed pitchers compared to righties in the regular season. 

Although he has had that much success, Soler has one of the lowest numbers to record a hit for Game 1. 

His splits combined with his low price compared to most players at -200 or above make him the ideal target for a hit prop. 

Statistics obtained from Baseball Reference. 

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