One of the best parts about this time of the year is the World Series prop bets that add even more excitement to an already intriguing Fall Classic. The Kansas City Royals have been the Cinderella darlings of these playoffs with their stunning undefeated run to the World Series but they could be overdue for a letdown against a San Francisco Giants team that has the edge in terms of more than just experience.
We’ve sifted through the big list of props and whittled it down to the best three. Here they are:
Will Any Game End In A Shutout?
No (-130)
The Giants scored three or more runs in each of their five NLCS games against a talented St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff and there is little reason to think that offensive production won’t continue against the Royals. Pablo Sandoval is hitting .326 in the postseason and Buster Posey is hitting .302. That tandem hasn’t had to do it all on their own as Travis Ishikawa, Brandon Belt, and Hunter Pence among others have stepped up. The San Francisco offense should continue to click against Kansas City even though the Royals found a way to fluster the Baltimore Orioles batters in the ALCS.
Kansas City’s eight-game undefeated run to the World Series didn’t include a single shutout, and while San Francisco had two shutout wins they both game with Madison Bumgarner on the hill, Bumgarner struggled in his last start against the Cardinals. Considering the way the Royals offense has been able to manufacture runs, they will be hard to completely shut down. Bumgarner is the only elite pitcher in a series featuring two offenses that have scored plenty of runs in these playoffs, so a shutout for either side is highly unlikely.
Most Hits, Runs, & RBI In The World Series
Buster Posey (-120) over Lorenzo Cain
Cain has hit a ridiculous .353 with nine runs in these playoffs but he has just four RBI while Posey has hit .302 but has four runs and five RBI. If this match up is based on their postseason numbers to date, then Cain would have a 25-22 edge. However, the Giants have had the tougher schedule of the two when it comes to pitching match ups and that will change dramatically in the World Series. San Francisco has Bumgarner, Jake Peavy, Tim Hudson, and Ryan Vogelsong lined up for the first four games and a bullpen that has pitched at an elite level in these playoffs behind them.
As for Kansas City, they still haven’t listed its starters beyond James Shields and Yordano Ventura for Games 1 and 2. The Giants pitching will keep Cain in check while Posey should be able to pull through with another clutch performance against a Royals staff that isn’t nearly as dominant.
MLB Series Special
San Francisco Giants (+1.5 games at -230) over Kansas City Royals
Kansas City’s undefeated run has been the story of these playoffs but they have yet to face a team as talented and prepared for postseason baseball as San Francisco is. The Giants have the better starting rotation, a strong bullpen, and their offense is both talented and experienced at this level. San Francisco should find a way to come out on top in this series and, despite the increased juice, the extra 1.5-game cushion should be more than enough to make this prop bet a virtual lock.
