Here we go.

The 2016 World Series begins Tuesday at Progressive Field (8:08 p.m. ET on Fox). In one dugout, the Cleveland Indians; in the other dugout, the Chicago Cubs.

Between them, 176 years of championship-free baseball. And in living rooms from Ohio to Illinois, a whole lot of angst and anticipation.

You don’t need to be told, but we’ll tell you anyway: Cleveland hasn’t hoisted a Commissioner’s Trophy since 1948, while the Cubs’ drought stretches back to 1908. Someone is going to bathe in champagne chilled by the last ice age. 

As we await the first pitch and all the pitches that follow, let’s preview some key storylines and run through a set of game-by-game predictions. One caveat: This is the postseason, when prognostications fly out the window and the improbable frequently becomes reality.

The Cubs and Indians are in the World Series—what further proof do you need?

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