Here are some fundamental stats to help guide you through Game 1 of the World Series between the Braves and the Astros --- note that the Astros are favored to win in Game 1 and my Predict MLB Winner model has the Astros winning 56% of the time. That said, don't let that stop you if you think there is value in taking the Braves. You can use the below stats to guide you to make a smarter bet. Note that these are all stats that I use in my Predict model and they tend to be good variables to use when trying to predict a winner.

I like to start with some fundamentals and there's nothing more fundamental that how each team does in the first three innings, on an innings-by-innings basis. Interestingly, Atlanta is the hotter starter but then tapers in the 2nd and 3rd innings as compared to the Astros.



I also like to check out how the teams are trending on some fundamental stats. You'll see two time graphs below. This first one shows us how often each team, as a whole, has been striking out. The Braves have been striking out more recently compared to the Astros, who have been striking out as a team less often.



Here are the runs each team has scored over the season. The trend is reversed compared to the strikeout chart, which makes perfect sense: the Astros have been scoring more runs as compared to the Braves starting in about mid-August. The Braves have remained steady since that time.


Finally, let's take a look at some other stats which can help us understand where tonight's game may be heading. The Astros have the better batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. That said, these stats incorporate the entire season's stats and Atlanta is no slouch of a team given they're playing in the WS. Should be an interesting game -- let's see how the stats hold up tonight.