Braves at Dodgers NLDS Game 1 Lines & Prediction

The Atlanta Braves have won the National League East and head west to start their playoff campaign in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, winners of the National League West after their Monday victory over Colorado in the division tiebreaker. The Dodgers have home field advantage for this series by virtue of their superior season record, and they stand as relatively heavy favorites in the opener, despite the fact that Atlanta has had an extra day of rest. Let’s take a look at your best MLB betting pick for this NLDS Game 1 matchup.

Braves at Dodgers NLDS Game Lines & Prediction

Tomorrow. #NLDS pic.twitter.com/f0gd1yLVlm

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 4, 2018

When: Thursday, October 4, 8:37pm ET Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles TV: MLB Network Radio: Westwood One Live Stream: MLB.tv MLB Odds: Atlanta +155 / Los Angeles -170 / O/U 7 Projected Pitching Matchup: Mike Foltynewicz (13-10, 2.85 ERA) (ATL) vs Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 2.30 ERA) (LA)

Why should you bet on the Braves?

Atlanta starts Mike Foltynewicz in the opener. The 13-game winner faced the Dodgers just once this season, and they touched him up for four earned runs on six hits (two of them home runs) in a game the Dodgers would win 4-1. Foltynewicz walked three and struck out eight, needing 101 pitches to get through just five innings. Down the stretch, Foltynewicz had a solid September, posting a 3-1 record and a 3.09 ERA, recording wins over San Francisco and the Phillies twice. In those last two starts against Philadelphia, he pitched a combined 12 ⅓ innings, permitting just three earned runs on three hits, striking out 14 and walking three. So he appears to be in a groove, but can he control the Dodger offense? On offense, the Braves more than held their own this season, averaging 4.69 runs per game with a team batting average of .257. Down the stretch, the Braves dropped four out of five after they had clinched the division, but they had a six-game winning streak up until the point where they were certain of an NL East title. If you like the Braves, you think that their pedestrian style can wear down the Dodgers and pick up a road upset to start the series.

Why should you put your money on the Dodgers?

Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched terrifically down the stretch for the Dodgers, with nine starts after he returned from the disabled list on August 15. He picked up wins in four of those starts, and the team won six of them overall. In his last three starts, he picked up wins over Colorado, San Diego and San Francisco, throwing 19 combined innings and allowing just one earned run (on a solo shot against the Giants on September 28), striking out 16 while walking just two. He looks locked in for the postseason. As a team, the Dodgers won three in a row to finish the regular season tied with Colorado atop the NL West, as well as six of eight and nine of 12 overall. They will replace All-Star starter Ross Stripling with Ryan Madson on their postseason roster because of the fact that Madson’s combo of a fastball and changeup will challenge the Braves’ youthful hitters. The Dodgers plan to use an eight-man bullpen thanks to the short leash that they are likely to have — and the lack of a DH.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The young Braves did well to outlast another upstart team in Philadelphia and then to keep the talented but underperforming Nationals at bay down the stretch in the Eastern Division. Now they find themselves under the bright lights of the postseason. The Dodgers have much more experience this time of year and have that hunger from losing Game Seven of a World Series a year ago. Will the Braves fold under the pressure or snatch the opener? I see the Dodgers doing just enough to take a 4-3 win.