The reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the NLCS, facing the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers.
The pregame narrative: Milwaukee is back in the NLCS for just the third time since the 1980s, while L.A. is in its seventh league championship series of the decade. Neither starting pitcher had been confirmed at the time of this writing, but Blake Snell and Quinn Priester appear lined up to take the mound.
Check out my Dodgers vs. Brewers predictions for NLCS Game 1, featuring a prop bet on Christian Yelich.
Dodgers vs. Brewers predictions
Parlay: Yelich under 0.5 hits | Dodgers under 4.5 runs | Brewers +2.5 (+300)
Yelich under 0.5 hits (+118): Assuming Snell takes the mound against the Brewers, I expect him to make life difficult for Yelich.
It’s a lefty-on-lefty matchup, which does not work in Yelich’s favour. During the regular season, he had an 87 wRC+ and a 27.7% K rate vs. LHPs.
Yelich was a pedestrian 5-for-19 (.263) in the NLDS with a .679 OPS.
Snell was stupendous in his first two postseason starts, allowing just five hits while striking out 18 batters in 13.0 innings. He also allowed five walks.
According to Baseball Savant, Yelich has a 20th-percentile strikeout rate and a 71st-percentile walk rate. I could see him reaching base or walking back to the dugout without even touching the ball.
MLB SGP legs
Dodgers under 4.5 runs (-130): At first glance, this seems like a very attainable run total for the Dodgers to clear.
And it is, given their average of 5.1 runs per game this season.
But the Brewers are no average matchup, and I like fading L.A. at this number in Game 1.
- This under is 56-28 for road teams facing the Brewers this year. Milwaukee’s opponents averaged 3.7 runs/game at American Family Field.
- In the NLDS, the Brewers held the Cubs to seven total runs across three home games, cashing this bet each time.
During the regular season, the Dodgers only scored four total runs across three matchups in Milwaukee.
And when Priester started against the Dodgers in L.A. in July, he held them to three hits over 6.0 scoreless innings in a 2-0 Milwaukee win.
Brewers +2.5 (-240): It’s rare for any team to have prolonged success against the Dodgers, but that’s what the Brewers have established entering the NLCS.
Dating back to last season, Milwaukee has won eight straight games against L.A. — including five at home.
I’m not sold on the Brewers winning outright with a red-hot Blake Snell on the mound, but Priester (13-3, 3.32 ERA) is no slouch. And behind Priester is a bullpen that ranked sixth in ERA this season.
Milwaukee’s 55-29 record at home this season is the third-best in the majors. Adding a couple of runs of cushion should put the Brew Crew in a strong position to cover.
Dodgers vs. Brewers predictions as of 2:26 p.m. on 10/12/2025.
Jordan enjoys writing data-driven game previews and analysis articles — especially for MLB markets or NFL/NBA props. And as a proud Ohio University grad, he’ll always have a soft spot for college sports (especially if the Bobcats are involved). Previous stops include mlb.com, Sportsnet and The Athletic.