The NLCS gets underway Sunday evening, as the Milwaukee Brewers host the Los Angeles Dodgers; the two best teams in the NL have made it through to this best-of-seven series. These two played essentially even in the regular season, with the Brewers winning four of seven games -- they would gladly take that result again. Both teams have had a few days off, so pitching and bullpens should not be an issue. Everyone will be available for the first two games. We also get a battle of aces, as Tarik Skubal and Jacob Misiorowski take the ball. This is a fantastic Game 1, to be sure. I lean toward the Dodgers and Skubal to get the first win.
This is why the Dodgers acquired Skubal—to anchor the postseason rotation. He was fantastic against the Braves, and he is the kind of guy that wants the ball and loves the pressure of the moment. He is also not the guy managers tend to lift after one trip through the lineup. The Miz has had a fantastic season as the Milwaukee ace, leading the league in strikeouts. He was solid a week ago against the Padres, although he was pulled after only four innings. I suspect the same pattern will hold again on Sunday, with Skubal working deeper into the game. That is enough to have me taking the Dodgers in this spot. The Brewers will have advantages in later games, but the opener may go to the league bully.
Dodgers vs Brewers Prediction: LA Dodgers ML (-105) available at the time of publishing. Playable to -120.
