The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies will meet in the 2022 World Series. It seemed to be an unlikely matchup at the start of the 2022 MLB playoffs, and the National League champions are underdogs after their run to the Fall Classic.

The Astros are -180 favorites at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the World Series. The Phillies have +150 odds, seeking their first championship in 14 years.

Philadelphia is in the World Series for the first time since 2009 when the team came up short winning a second straight title. That run of success was followed by a decade-long playoff drought, which the team broke this year. Thanks to the expanded postseason, the Phillies grabbed the NL's final wild-card spot with 87 wins.

The Phillies haven't played like a team that barely made the playoffs in October. Philadelphia has a 9-2 postseason record after beating the San Diego Padres in five games in the NLCS.

Houston has been even better during the playoffs, going a perfect 7-0 in the ALDS and ALCS. The Astros swept the Seattle Mariners, which Houston bested by 16 games for the AL West title. Houston then swept the New York Yankees after finishing seven games ahead of New York for the AL's No. 1 seed.

No team in baseball has had more success than the Astros since 2017. Houston has made six straight ALCS appearances and is about to play in its fourth World Series during that span. The Astros are five years removed from their last championship, which has been tainted by a cheating scandal. But they might be on their way to winning their second title in franchise history.

The World Series might ultimately be determined by the battle between Houston's pitchers and Philadelphia's lineup. The Astros' 1.88 ERA in the playoffs is the lowest of any team that played beyond the wild-card round. The Phillies' 5.2 runs per game is easily the highest mark of any team that won a single playoff game.

Bryce Harper has arguably been baseball's best player this postseason. The NLCS MVP is hitting .419/.444/.907 with five home runs and 11 RBI in 11 games. Rhys Hoskins also has five homers and 11 RBI for the Phillies.

Zack Wheeler has pitched like an ace with a 1.78 ERA in four starts. Aaron Nola is a formidable No. 2 starter. Ranger Suarez has given up a run in 8.1 innings in his two starts.

Houston's rotation offers a new challenge to Philadelphia's hitters. Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez are likely to be top-three AL Cy Young finishers. Christian Javier has been more effective than both veterans in his recent outings, giving up just two total runs in his last 35 innings.

The Astros' bullpen has a miniscule 0.82 ERA in 33 playoff innings. The lineup is a mix of championship experience (Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yuli Gurriel) and some of the sport's best young hitters (Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Kyle Tucker).

Here's a look at the World Series schedule and a prediction for the matchup between Houston and Philadelphia.

Schedule

Game 1: Friday, Oct. 28 at Houston, FOX

Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 29 at Houston, FOX

Game 3: Monday, Oct. 31 at Houston, FOX

Game 4: Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Houston, FOX

Game 5: Wednesday, Nov. 2 at Houston, FOX (if necessary)

Game 6: Friday, Nov. 24 at Houston, FOX (if necessary)

Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 5 at Houston, FOX (if necessary)

Prediction: Houston in six

Bryce Harper Phillies Marlins
Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on July 26, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images