The World Series kicks off tonight with Aaron Nola facing Justin Verlander.

The Philadelphia Phillies head to Houston to face the Astros today in the first game of the World Series. Philadelphia comes in as the underdog due to who’s starting on the mound.

Aaron Nola, who posted a regular season record of 11-13 isn’t exactly the best option for the Phillies on the mound tonight. Still, he has an ERA of 3.25 so it’s not the worst option.

What the Phillies will rely on today is their strong group of batters featuring Kyle Schwarber, who has hit 46 home runs this season and leads the team.

They also have Alec Bohm, who leads the team with a .280 batting average. Overall, the Phillies have a .253 batting average, one of the best in the league.

For the Houston Astros, the nearly impeccable Justin Verlander will get the start tonight. Verlander posted a record of 18-4 during the regular season with a 1.75 ERA.

With Verlander on the mound, it’s not surprising that the Astros are the favorites to win this game.

One thing you’ll need to keep in mind is that the Astros swept both the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees to get to this point.

Being able to sweep the New York Yankees is an impressive feat and with Verlander on the mound, they’ll likely get off to a fast start in the World Series.

The Astros posted a 55-26 record at home during the regular season and that’s where they’ll start again today, look for them to earn a Game 1 win over the Phillies this evening.

Ricky’s Pick: Houston Astros -170, UNDER