2009 World Series Odds: Yankees at Phillies Game 5

The New York Yankees will try and close out the Philadelphia Phillies and win their 27th title on Monday in Game 5 of the 2009 World Series. It may not be easy though as Philadelphia’s best pitcher, Cliff Lee is on the mound. The Phillies are -160 favorites in 2009 World Series odds at online sportsbooks with a total of 8.5 UNDER -125. The Yankees will be turning to A.J. Burnett who will be pitching on three days rest against a fully rested Cliff Lee.

This series could easily be tied but the Yankees pulled out a 7-4 win on Sunday as they scored three runs against Phillies closer Brad Lidge. Alex Rodriguez had the game winning hit while Jorge Posada followed with a two-run single. "He's the reason why we're sitting here and we're in Philadelphia right now," said Johnny Damon about A-Rod, "I felt like without him, who knows where our road may have stopped at." New York has led 3-1 in World Series odds eight other times in history and has gone on to win the title every time. Only once has New York blown a 3-1 lead in any playoff series and that was a historic one as they blew a 3-0 lead to the Red Sox in the 2004 playoffs.

The last team in World Series odds to overcome a 3-1 deficit and win the title was the 1985 Kansas City Royals. "I think we take a lot of pride on being resilient and the way we bounce back," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I've seen us go through it before. We've blown 22 games from the seventh inning on or something this year. That's got to tell you something about the resilience of our team." The Phillies have a chance to send the 2009 World Series odds back to New York since Lee will be on the mound on Monday. He is 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA in the postseason. He will be opposed by A.J. Burnett who is pitching on three days rest. He is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four career starts on short rest.

2009 World Series odds and trends have the Yankees going 10-3 in their last 13 road games vs. a left-handed starter. The Yankees are 13-6 in their last 19 games as an underdog. The Yankees are 6-1 in Burnett’s last 7 starts. The Phillies are 34-12 in their last 46 games as a home favorite. The Phillies are 5-1 in Lee’s last 6 starts as a home favorite. The Over is 4-0-1 in the Yankees last 5 road games. The Under is 5-2-1 in Burnett’s last 8 starts overall. The Over is 5-0-1 in the Phillies last 6 playoff home games.

Bower's 2009 World Series Picks: Tonight will be either another great finale in World Series odds or will lead to an extended series with more drama; so either way it is going to be exciting. Although Cliff Lee is pitching, my pick for game 5 of the 2009 World Series tonight on FOX is to take the Yankees +140 on the road to the OVER in a 2-team parlay. Vegas odds at the MGM Mirage sportsbook have the Phillies -150 favorites against the Yankees +130 with a betting total of 8.5 UNDER -125.