Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers, Game 1, NLCS, Picks and Predictions, Monday, October 13th, 2025

The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers have both made their way to the NLCS and will open their seven-game series on Monday. Los Angeles got here by sweeping the Reds in the Wild Card Round, then defeating the Phillies in the Divisional Round 3-1. The Brewers had the first-round bye as the one seed, then beat the Cubs by winning in the decisive Game 5. The Brewers won all six games against the Dodgers this season. Neither team has announced its starting pitcher as of the time of publishing. First pitch is set for 8:08 EST and can be found on TBS. Keep reading to see our Dodgers vs. Brewers prediction, and check out all of our Free MLB Picks.

Los Angeles Looks to Repeat

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the defending World Series Champions, and will try to be the first repeat champions since the Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000. They have looked the part so far this postseason, having only lost one game through two rounds on their march to the NLCS. They are coming off a series against the Phillies where they were able to steal the first two games on the road, setting the tone for the rest of the series. In their Game 4 win, the Dodgers advanced on a devastating 11th-inning throwing error from Philly's Orion Kerkering to close the series.

Their only other run scored in the game came on a bases-loaded walk; they will need to generate more offense to be successful against the Brewers. Through the playoffs, the Dodgers have hit seven home runs; three from Teoscar Hernandez and two apiece from Shohei Ohtani and Tommy Edman. Ohtani was their top home run hitter in the regular season, blasting out 55 while batting a strong .282 at the plate. Ohtani is their leadoff man to maximize his at-bats, with Mookie Betts batting second in the order. Betts has the best batting average in the playoffs, as he is batting .385 with four RBIs.

The Dodgers have not yet announced their starter, but following the playoff rotation, they may send Ohtani to the mound for this one. Ohtani started Game 1 against the Phillies and gave up three earned runs over six innings. If it is not Ohtani, the Dodgers could send out Blake Snell to start the series. The Dodgers' team ERA has been 3.38 through the postseason.

Brewers are Top Seed

The Milwaukee Brewers fought hard for the top seed in the National League, and it has all paid off now as they have home-field advantage in the NLCS against the red-hot Dodgers. The Brewers and the Phillies both got the first-round bye, but Philly's rust showed as they fell to the Dodgers, while Milwaukee needed all five games against the Cubs to advance. In Game 5, the Brewers won 3-1 behind three solo home runs in the low-scoring game.

Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Andrew Vaughn hit the three home runs; for both Contreras and Vaughn, it was their second home run of their five-game postseason so far. Turang had the most home runs out of that trio in the regular season, as he finished with 18, while leading the team in stolen bases with 24. Their top home run hitters on the season were Christian Yelich with 29, and Jackson Chourio with 21. Chourio is having the best postseason for the Brewers, as he is leading the team with seven hits. This makes his batting average .389 through the first five games, as the 21-year-old looks to make a name for himself in the postseason.

The Brewers have not yet named their starter, but all signs seem to be pointing to Quinn Priester, as he is one of their regular starters and has had a typical amount of rest to hit the mound again. Priester started Game 3 against the Cubs, but did not make it out of the first inning in the loss. The Brewers used two bullpen games out of the five, so we may see multiple pitchers on the mound in Game 1 here.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers picks

Moneyline pick and prediction for Dodgers vs. Brewers

• Brewers +130 (5 units)

This is an incredible value for the best team in the National League. The Dodgers are a popular bet; they have brand recognition, big names, and won the World Series last season. But this is not last season, and none of those things mattered when the Brewers swept the Dodgers across six games in the regular season. Milwaukee is loaded with talent, and they were able to shake off the rust in their recent series against the Cubs just in time to advance. The Dodgers have a few quality starting pitchers, but their bullpen is not very strong. They finished the regular season just 17th in the league in team ERA at 3.95, while Milwaukee had the second-best ERA in the league at 3.58. We get the better team here at home with plus money; the Brewers are the play.

Take the Brewers to win.

Over/Under Pick for Dodgers vs. Brewers

• Under 7.5 (4 units)

It is playoff baseball time, and the scores have been relatively low across the board, a trend that will continue here. The Brewers won their clinching game 3-1, while the Dodgers needed extra innings to finish 2-1 in their last game, both of which went way under the total. The pitching staffs will each be near full strength, as the teams both had the day off on Sunday. Milwaukee had one of the best pitching staffs all season, finishing second in team ERA. The money will be on the over, but this game is still set at only 7.5; the sharp play is the under.

Take the under.