Brewers vs. Dodgers Prediction: Can Milwaukee Sweep Away LA’s Dynasty Hopes in NLCS Game 3?

The Los Angeles Dodgers are staring down an 0-2 hole in the National League Championship Series, and Wednesday night’s Game 3 at Dodger Stadium might be the most desperate game the two-time defending World Series champions have played in years. Milwaukee stunned the baseball world by winning both games in Los Angeles’ building blocks of momentum — a 2-1 Game 1 nailbiter and a wild, back-and-forth 7-4 comeback win in Game 2 — and now the Brewers bring that 2-0 series lead home to Chavez Ravine for Wednesday’s first pitch at 8:00 p.m. ET. Milwaukee (103-59 in the regular season) has already beaten both of LA’s co-aces, Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and now turns to left-hander Robert Gasser to try to push the Dodgers (100-62) to the brink of elimination. Los Angeles counters with Blake Snell, who has been nothing short of brilliant this October, as the Dodgers try to avoid becoming the first team since the 1990s to let a 2-0 series deficit spiral further out of control.

The Market Still Trusts LA, But the Vibes Say Otherwise

Despite dropping the first two games of the series, the Dodgers have opened as home favorites for Game 3, with moneyline prices around -179 to -182 and a run line of -1.5. The total sits at 7.5 runs, with the under drawing significant respect given how both bullpens have pitched and how quiet the middle of LA’s order has looked all series. Milwaukee comes in priced near +148 to +150 on the moneyline as true road underdogs, which says plenty about how the betting market still views roster talent gap even after two Brewers wins. The over/under has split close to even, but the under has cashed in six of the last ten meetings between these two clubs, and it’s gone under in eight of LA’s last ten games overall — a trend worth monitoring with two cagey left-handers on the mound.

Gasser’s Postseason Debut Against a Snell Who Looks Unbeatable

Robert Gasser gets the ball for Milwaukee in his first career NLCS start, and he arrives in good form, carrying a 2.50 ERA over his final seven outings of the regular season after finishing 5-5 with a 3.87 ERA overall. His strikeout-to-walk numbers improved significantly down the stretch, and manager Pat Murphy has shown total confidence in handing the ball to rookies and under-the-radar arms all postseason — a formula that’s produced results twice already in this series. Still, Gasser’s 4.23 FIP and modest 106 Stuff+ grade suggest he’ll need his defense and a deep bullpen to bail him out if LA’s lineup starts hitting the ball hard.

Blake Snell, on the other hand, has been borderline untouchable. The left-hander carries a sparkling 1.90 ERA and a 2.45 postseason mark into Wednesday, backed by a 22.5% strikeout-minus-walk rate that ranks among the best of any starter in this year’s bracket. Snell has the swing-and-miss stuff to keep Milwaukee’s lineup off balance for six-plus innings, and if the Dodgers are going to save their season, it starts with their ace controlling the strike zone the way he has all October.

The lineups tell an equally important story. William Contreras has been the best player in this series by a wide margin — he’s 3 for 4 with three RBI and a game-tying, game-saving homer in Game 2 alone, and he now has three home runs this postseason. Brice Turang has quietly been a catalyst all series too, driving in the Game 1 go-ahead run with a leadoff homer and adding an RBI single in the Game 2 insurance rally; he’s put together a .814 postseason OPS so far. On the other side, LA’s offense has gone cold at the worst possible time. The Dodgers haven’t scored more than four runs in a game since their Division Series opener, and stars like Freddie Freeman and the rest of the lineup have combined for far too many empty at-bats with runners in scoring position. Milwaukee’s bullpen — Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby — combined to retire the final 15 Dodgers hitters of Game 2 in order, a staggering collapse for a lineup that was supposed to be the sport’s most fearsome.

Prediction and Best Bet

Milwaukee has already beaten two Cy Young-caliber arms on the road in this series and has shown no fear of the moment, while the Dodgers’ offense remains stuck in a deep October slump that even a vintage Snell start may not be enough to overcome if the Brewers’ bullpen shows up again. Betting against LA at home is never easy, but this series has already defied the form chart twice, and Milwaukee’s depth and timely hitting continue to be the story.

• Prediction: Brewers 4, Dodgers 3
• Best Bet: Brewers on the moneyline

Milwaukee’s bullpen has been nearly unhittable over the last two games, and if Gasser can give the Crew five solid innings, this pitching staff has proven it can close the door on this Dodgers lineup when it matters most. For bettors looking to maximize value, check out the latest DraftKings promo code before placing a wager on this pivotal Game 3, and anyone looking to shop multiple markets around this series should also browse the full MLB odds board for the latest lines before first pitch.