Braves vs. Astros: World Series Game 6 Home Run Derby Roundtable

In tonight's pivotal Game 6 from Minute Maid Park in Houston, let's play another round of 'Home Run Derby: Wagering Edition!'

Ahead of this evening's Game 6 World Series matchup between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, the BetSided team is swinging for the fences and looking to cash in on who will go take one out of the park tonight.

The Astros are down 3-2 in the series following their 9-5 comeback win in Game 5 in Atlanta, and the oddsmakers at WynnBET list them as slight favorites at -126 odds (bet $126 to win $100) to win Game 6 tonight, Meanwhile, the Braves are +118 road underdogs this evening.

Atlanta holds -225 odds to win the World Series, needing just one more win to go, although at this point, you might as well just take them on the moneyline tonight with much better odds. Houston is currently +200 to come back and win the Fall Classic.

Max Fried (1-2, 5.40 ERA in the postseason) gets the ball for the Braves tonight against right-hander Luis Garcia (1-2, 3.48 ERA) who pitches on three days rest.

Let's go around the horn and predict which Braves or Astros player we expect to go yard!

Braves vs. Astros: World Series Game 6 Picks to Hit a Home Run

• Joc Pederson (+405)
• Jose Altuve (+370)
• Yordan Alvarez (+345)

Joc Pederson (+405)

The calendar has flipped to November, but the Braves will need Joc-tober to turn into Joc-vember (?) to help lead them to a Game 6 victory against the Astros. He has 12 postseason home runs in his career, including three this season. He's due to hit another, as his last one game in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers. He's proven he can get it done, and I love his value at +405. -- Iain MacMillan

I love Pederson to leave the yard in Game 6 tonight. Despite limited playing time during the World Series, he still leads the Braves in hard hit percentage via MLB Statcast, and trails only Adam Duvall and Jorge Soler in fly ball rate.

Is it a "narrative street" play? Probably, but there's also data that suggests his matchup vs. Luis Garcia should work well for him. He hits right-handers far better than left-handers, with a .339 weighted on-base average (wOBA) of .339 vs. RHP's over his last 15 games.

Pederson is playing in his third World Series, and having that type of veteran presence in multiple closing games is crucial. I think he takes advantage of the spotlight, so clutch your pearls from afar. -- Ben Heisler

Jose Altuve (+370)

I took Jose Altuve to hit a homer back in Game 2, and he came through with a solo shot in the seventh inning. He comes in at +370 odds at WynnBET, but the Astros second baseman has a flair for the dramatic in the postseason and has already slugged five home runs in these playoffs. The Astros teed off on Max Fried in his last start this series, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they do it again with Altuve leading the charge. I’m shocked he has longer odds than Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez in this matchup. -- Peter Dewey

Altuve has two home runs in the last four games and I expect him to stay hot tonight. Altuve has struggled this postseason, only batting .206. He hit .278 in the regular season, and hasn’t been as consistent at the plate in October.

Nevertheless, Altuve has shown that he can still rise to the occasion and instantly create runs for the Astros. In a do-or-die situation, I expect Altuve to rise to the occasion and do his best to save the Astros’ championship hopes. -- Donnavan Smoot

Yordan Alvarez (+345)

Sure, Alvarez doesn't have a hit since Game 1, but what better time than Game 6 at home down 3-2 to get going? Alvarez has a higher slugging percentage against lefties, which he'll be facing at least to start in Braves pitcher Max Fried, and will be playing at Minute Maid Park, a hitter friendly ballpark. If we're throwing darts, I'll take a stab at one of the most feared hitters to find his swing after five straight hitless games. -- Reed Wallach