Updated: October 19, 2011, 12:14 AM ET

ESPN's World Series predictions

ESPN.com

  PREDICTION WHY?
Jim Bowden
ESPN.com
in 7		 The Rangers are the better defensive club, and have the advantage in the late innings with Neftali Feliz, Alexi Ogando and Mike Adams. Both teams are going to hit, and both teams will continue to watch early exits from their starting pitchers.
Howard Bryant
ESPN.com
in 6		 The Cardinals have the ace of the series in Chris Carpenter, but having bested Justin Verlander, the Rangers will avenge last year's loss.
Jim Caple
ESPN.com
in 6		 Because the Rangers are the champions of the real league and they didn't need no stinkin' squirrel to win it.
Tristan H. Cockcroft
ESPN Fantasy
in 6		 The Cardinals simply aren't getting enough innings out of their starters, and their opponents are getting increasingly tougher in terms of offense.
Jerry Crasnick
ESPN.com
in 6		 The Rangers survived Tampa Bay's pitching in the division series and the Justin Verlander-Miguel Cabrera show in the league championship series. Now they'll outlast Albert Pujols and that pesky squirrel.
Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
in 6		 Texas will get better starting pitching and find a way to win close games. Oh, and who am I to disagree with Nolan Ryan's prediction?
Gordon Edes
ESPNBoston.com
in 6		 (Nelson) Cruz-ing to first Series title.
Kevin Goldstein
ESPN Insider
in 6		 These are two teams that have gotten it done so far with bullpens and bashing, but the Rangers' more well-rounded lineup provides the difference.
Pedro Gomez
ESPN
in 4		 A to Z, Texas is -- and has been -- better than anyone.
Jason Grey
ESPN Fantasy
in 6		 Texas is a versatile team that can beat you with power, speed, pitching or defense, and ultimately its roster depth gives it the nod.
Tony Jackson
ESPNLA.com
in 6		 This has been a team on a mission all season, and the Cardinals are hardly equipped to get in the way.
Eric Karabell
ESPN Fantasy
Baseball Today
in 6		 The Cardinals' bullpen magic finally runs out against the best offense it has faced yet.
Tim MacMahon
ESPNDallas.com
in 6		 The Rangers' bullpen and lineup prove Nolan Ryan right.
Andrew Marchand
ESPNNY.com
in 6		 The Rangers' bullpen will be the deciding factor in what will be a fun-to-watch six games.
Matt Meyers
ESPN Insider
in 6		 The Cards have a lineup that is suited to crush all the Rangers' left-handers, and they have a much better tactician in their dugout.
Amy K. Nelson
ESPN.com
in 6		 Picked 'em before the postseason started, and in a series that could go either way, I'm going with the lineup, Nelson Cruz and Texas' bullpen.
Eduardo Perez
ESPN
in 6		 Chris Carpenter and Yadier Molina will be the two big keys in the series. Molina shuts down the running game.
Karl Ravech
ESPN
in 7		 The most surprising World Series team can't stop one step short.
Jim Reeves
ESPNDallas.com
in 5		 Not even the Cardinals' vaunted bullpen will be able to stop the bleeding against the Rangers' powerful lineup.
Mark Saxon
ESPNLA.com
in 5		 The most complete team in the playoff field seems intent on taking it one step further than last year.
David Schoenfield
ESPN.com/SweetSpot
in 7		 As well as the St. Louis bullpen pitched against the Brewers, here's why that performance will be difficult to match: The Brewers had Yuniesky Betancourt hitting seventh; the Rangers have Nelson Cruz hitting seventh.
Mark Simon
ESPN Stats & Info
in 5		 The Rangers' offense is simply too powerful for the Cardinals to handle.
Jayson Stark
ESPN.com
in 6		 There isn't a team in baseball more capable of beating anyone in more different ways than the Rangers, an AL team perfectly constructed to play by NL rules or AL rules.
Dan Szymborski
ESPN Insider
in 7		 The Cardinals have an equally potent offense, but a more dependable rotation and scarier bullpen give the Rangers the nod.
Jean-Jacques Taylor
ESPNDallas.com
in 6		 C.J. Wilson finally pitches likes he's one of the better pitchers in the game.
Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
in 7		 Home-field advantage, two or three Chris Carpenter starts, Tony La Russa and bullpen, Albert Pujols, and, well, destiny?

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