The National League Championship Series, Dodgers vs Brewers, is set to get underway tonight from Milwaukee’s Miller Park, as the NL Central champion Brewers prepare to welcome the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, winners of the NL West. The Dodgers barely escaped with the division, mounting a furious comeback to tie Colorado in the division standings and force a Game 163.
The Dodgers won, sending the Rockies to the wild card game. The Brewers won a similar tiebreaker in their division against the Cubs after going 19-6 in September to catch the Cubs atop the division. The Brewers then swept Colorado in the NLDS, while the Dodgers eliminated the Atlanta Braves in four games in their division series. With a trip to the World Series on the line, the two teams begin their series on Friday night. Check out our MLB Betting preview before locking in your wager.
Milwaukee’s offense also looked impressive in their NLDS clincher. They eliminated Colorado by a 6-0 score, putting up 12 hits and also collecting five walks. Keon Broxton, Orlando Arcia, and Jesus Aguilar all went deep for the Brewers, and each position player reached base safely. If the Milwaukee offense can keep raking like that at home, then they could pin some runs on Kershaw early and take a series lead.
Dodgers vs Brewers NLCS Game 1 Odds & Expert Prediction
The @Dodgers are vying for a second straight #WorldSeries appearance. The @Brewers are looking to make their first Fall Classic since 1982. The #NLCS starts tonight. pic.twitter.com/571taJgoTQ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) 12 de octubre de 2018
- When: Friday, October 12, 8:09 pm ET
- Where: Miller Park, Milwaukee
- TV: FS1
- Radio: ESPN Radio
- Live Stream: FOX Sports GO
- NLCS Game 1 Odds: Los Angeles -150 / Milwaukee +140 / O/U 7.5
- Projected Pitching Matchup: Clayton Kershaw (9-5, 2.73 ERA) (LA) vs Gio Gonzalez (10-11, 4.21 ERA) (WAS)
Why should you bet on the Dodgers?
Clayton Kershaw erased a lot of doubts about his postseason health with an eight-inning gem on October 5 against the Braves in Game 2. He allowed just two hits in a shutout performance. He only fanned three batters, but he induced 13 ground ball outs, needing just 85 pitches to get his team to the ninth inning. The Dodgers have not lost a game that Kershaw has started since a 5-2 setback on August 13 against San Francisco, but that loss was on the bullpen as Kershaw left after eight innings of one-run ball. Nights like Friday are why the Dodgers have built their team around this lefthander. In Game 4, the Dodgers got plenty of offense out of midseason acquisition Manny Machado, who went 2 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBI. David Freese also drove in a pair of runs with a pinch-hit single and then came Max Muncy right behind him with a clutch hit. If you like the Dodgers, you like the way they finished down the stretch to catch the division — but you also like the matchup of Kershaw and whoever the Brewers use to follow Gonzalez.Why should you put your money on the Brewers?
Craig Counsell’s decision to start Gio Gonzalez in the opener is an interesting one. Clearly, he wants to limit the bats of lefties Joc Pederson and Max Muncy, but Gonzalez did not appear at all in the NLDS and has not pitched in a game since September 30, when he threw five innings of three-hit, shutout ball against the Detroit Tigers to get his tenth win of the season. The Brewers have won in all of Gonzalez’s starts since August 29, when he got shelled for six runs on six hits in Philadelphia.
Milwaukee’s offense also looked impressive in their NLDS clincher. They eliminated Colorado by a 6-0 score, putting up 12 hits and also collecting five walks. Keon Broxton, Orlando Arcia, and Jesus Aguilar all went deep for the Brewers, and each position player reached base safely. If the Milwaukee offense can keep raking like that at home, then they could pin some runs on Kershaw early and take a series lead.
