The 2025 NLCS odds present a highly favorable situation for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The defending champs are squarely in the driver’s seat, according to the latest prices to win the league title in the National League.
However, is there an upset in the works, and which side should you bet on? I explore the NL Championship odds, analyze each club, and make my NLCS predictions.
NLCS 2025 Betting Odds
Here are the NL Championship odds, courtesy of Lucky Rebel:
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Dodgers | -240 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | +195 |
The Los Angeles Dodgers (-240) are heavy favorites to win the NLCS for the second straight year and third time since 2020. The Dodgers ultimately went on to win the World Series in both instances.
At -240 odds, the Dodgers have a 70.6% implied probability to win and book their ticket to the World Series, per the best MLB betting sites. They were slight favorites over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS and ousted Kyle Schwarber and co in four games after a wild extra innings matchup at Dodger Stadium.
You can find up-to-date NLCS odds at Lucky Rebel by navigating to Sports > Baseball > MLB Futures > National League.
2025 NLCS Betting Preview
Before delving into my NLCS betting picks, let’s break down the matchup between the Dodgers and Brewers. Both clubs bring solid, talented rosters to the fold, but who has the advantage?
Los Angeles Dodgers – Peaking at the Perfect Time?
The Dodgers didn’t have what many people consider a perfect regular season. They fell below expectations and didn’t reach their win total, but as we’ve seen in the past, it’s more important to get everything in order for October.
Injuries were the main storyline for the Dodgers in 2025. If it wasn’t a pitcher, there was a key hitter out of the lineup. Now, though, the Dodgers have gotten healthy for the most important time of the season. Check out my complete analysis:
Pitching Staff Analysis
The Dodgers were ravished with injuries to their pitching staff in the regular season. It was equally bad for the starting pitchers and relievers. The majority of their key arms had an ailment at one point or another.
That being said, everything is coming together for the Dodgers now. With the 1-2-3 punch of Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow, they are in good shape. Shohei Ohtani also made it onto the starting rotation in the NLDS.
"I'm gonna win two Cy Youngs and I'm gonna shine on the brightest stage."@LaurenShehadi recalled Blake Snell's expectations for his career a decade later… safe to say he was right 😆 pic.twitter.com/0jMx3c6N22
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) October 7, 2025
Through five games, the Dodgers’ pitching staff recorded a solid 3.38 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. This is a nice bump from the 3.95 ERA in the regular season. Snell and Yamamoto are the catalysts, with Glasnow and Ohtani having the potential to pitch gems.
Snell posted an ERA of 2.35 and a 1.26 WHIP after being limited to just 11 starts. Yamamoto boasted a 2.49 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through 30 games in 173.2 frames. Meanwhile, Glasnow was unhittable in the NLDS, as he yielded four hits and no runs across 7.2 innings.
The X-factor for the Dodgers, though, is Roki Sasaki out of the bullpen. The rookie appeared in only 10 games in the regular season with an injury, but is blazing hot as a reliever in the postseason. Sasaki has logged a 0.00 ERA with an incredible 0.19 WHIP through 5.1 innings. If the Dodgers need him to go deep into games, he will be fully capable.
A glaring weakness for the Dodgers has turned into a strength in the playoffs!
Hitting Analysis
The Dodgers’ lineup had injuries of their own throughout the regular season. Max Muncy was out for a big portion of the second half, but was able to get his feet back into the batter’s box late in the year.
He played in only 100 regular season games, while Tommy Edman was limited to 97 matchups. Additionally, Teoscar Hernandez and Enrique Hernandez both had to handle injuries. Teoscar has been hot, with three home runs and a .308 average in the postseason.
TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ. pic.twitter.com/m9yiRwPmrh
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2025
Nevertheless, the Dodgers finished first in the National League with 244 home runs and 791 RBIs. Led by Shohei Ohtani’s 55 home runs and the emergence of Andy Pages, the Dodgers’ offense held their own. They’ve netted an average of 5.1 runs per game, which again, is first in the National League and second in MLB.
Ohtani was ice-cold in the NLDS with a .071 batting average and one RBI. The Dodgers, however, are still second in MLB, with a team batting average of .259. I anticipate Ohtani getting hot after a brief slump so expect big things from the 31-year-old.
The Dodgers’ offense is in a good position entering the NLCS this season.
Milwaukee Brewers – Are the Brew Crew Being Undervalued?
With home field advantage on their side, the Brewers will host the Dodgers for Game 1 and Game 2. They had a fantastic regular season to finish the 2025 campaign with a record of 97-65 and the best record in baseball. The Brewers ripped off two winning streaks of at least 10 games, including a 14-game stretch for a franchise record.
Consequently, the Brewers have clinched home field in the NLCS and in the World Series, if they so happen to defeat the defending champs. Are they the team to do it? See my analysis:
Pitching Staff Analysis
The Brewers’ pitching staff features a mix of talented veterans and young hurlers. It was perhaps the most underrated unit in baseball this season. Overall, the Brewers were first in the National League, with a team ERA of 3.58 en route to the best record in MLB.
The starting rotation was spearheaded by veteran Freddy Peralta and two young reliable arms in Chad Patrick and Quinn Priester. Peralta led the Brewers with an ERA of 2.70 and 204 strikeouts. He went on an incredible tear across 28 innings with no runs allowed in August and early September.
Strikeout MACHINE
Freddy Peralta has notched 200 Ks for the third straight season ‼️ pic.twitter.com/31EBcdAcl4
— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 23, 2025
Peralta is the first pitcher in Brewers’ history to go five straight starts without yielding a run. The 29-year-old is a dark horse NL Cy Young candidate, but will ultimately just miss out. In any event, Peralta has been fantastic and should be a key arm versus the Dodgers.
Patrick was in sharp form in his rookie campaign, posting a 3.53 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. The same can be said for Priester, who recorded a 3.32 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in his first full season on the mound. Additionally, the bullpen was solid for the Brewers, with a 3.63 ERA for the third-best mark in the league.
In the postseason, the Brewers’ bullpen was excellent in the NLDS with a 1.20 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. Whether it’s the starters or relievers, pitching isn’t a problem in Milwaukee.
Hitting Analysis
The Brewers’ offense was hot and cold throughout the season. They had their moments, but nothing jumped off the page. As a team, the Brewers finished 22nd in home runs with 166, so the power wasn’t particularly impressive.
But with a .258 batting average, the Brewers made solid contact and ranked in a tie with the Phillies for the second-best number. It isn’t all about launching home runs in the postseason, so winning with pitching and small ball is possible against the Dodgers.
They have some hitters that can go deep, too, with William Contreras, Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Brice Turang can all turn on a ball. The Brewers matched the Dodgers seven home runs in the NLDS, even though the Dodgers have played one more postseason game.
A HUGE HOMER FROM BRICE TURANG 🔥
Brewers lead 3-1! pic.twitter.com/omWapCthbw
— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2025
Nevertheless, the Brewers’ 21 RBIs don’t hold up against the Dodgers’ 29. This is still a strong offense that must be respected by Dodgers’ pitching. I don’t know if I would take this lineup over what the Dodgers offer in the NLCS, though.
NLCS 2025 Prediction and Betting Pick
For my pre-season NL Championship prediction, I backed the Dodgers to repeat and get back to the World Series. Even when things were looking bleak in Los Angeles, they remained my top selection. Now, with the Dodgers’ roster much healthier, this looks like a championship team.
Note that the Brewers swept the regular season series with six wins in six matchups. They also won by a sizable run margin of 31-16. I’m not certain the Brewers saw the Dodgers at their best and current form, however.
Despite not seeing the best of Ohtani in the NLDS, the Dodgers still handled the Phillies in four games. Depth has returned to the lineup, and most notably, the pitching staff. If Ohtani heats up, which I have confidence in him doing in this series, it’s likely going to be a wrap.
The Dodgers’ bullpen struggled mightily in the regular season, but inserting Sasaki as a reliever changes the outlook considerably. He’s the most dangerous reliever in the NLCS and could chew up multiple innings if the Dodgers need him to. That’s the game-changer for the Dodgers.
It should be competitive and an entertaining seven-game series, but the Dodgers are the best NLCS betting pick!
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