National League

The Milwaukee Brewers will try to force a Game 7 on Friday when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers as small home underdogs at sportsbooks for Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.

The Brewers led the series 2-1 after winning Game 3 at Dodger Stadium 4-0 Monday but have been outscored 7-3 in losing the past two games.

                

MLB betting line: The Dodgers opened as -120 favorites (wager $120 to win $100); the total is at eight runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.

MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 4.2-3.6, Dodgers. MLB picks on every game.

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.

                   

Why the Dodgers Can Pay on the MLB Lines

Los Angeles has used solid pitching and timely hitting to take a 3-2 series lead in the NLCS and needs that to continue to advance to the World Series for the second straight year.

The Dodgers picked up a key victory in Game 2 at Miller Park with Hyun-Jin Ryu (7-3, 1.97 ERA) on the mound and will send him out there again in Game 6, hoping they can get the same result. Ryu pitched 4.1 innings and allowed two runs and six hits with no walks and four strikeouts in the 4-3 win, and he should be well-rested in this spot.

                

Why the Brewers Can Pay on the MLB Lines

Milwaukee will ride with Wade Miley (5-2, 2.57 ERA) again here after he was surprisingly pulled after just five pitches in Game 5 Wednesday. Miley walked Los Angeles' Cody Bellinger and was then replaced by Brandon Woodruff, who gave up three runs (two earned) and five hits in 5.1 innings to take the loss in a 5-2 defeat.

While Miley has started on the mound in two of the team's three losses in this series, he did pitch 5.2 scoreless innings opposite Ryu in Game 2 before the Dodgers rallied to win.

                 

Smart Betting Pick

It all comes down to this for the Brewers, who had the NL's best home record (51-30) during the regular season en route to the league's top mark overall. They have played well throughout the series and simply need to score more runs, something they were able to do at home in averaging 4.5 in the first two games.

The problem is that Los Angeles is playing with a ton of confidence and has won six of the teams' past nine meetings in Milwaukee, according to the OddsShark MLB Database. In what should be another competitive game, look for the Dodgers to close out the Brewers.

                  

MLB betting trends

Los Angeles is 10-3 in its past 13 games.

Los Angeles is 5-2 in its past seven games on the road.

The total has gone over in four of Los Angeles' past six games on the road.

               

All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

The Los Angeles Dodgers regained a foothold in the National League Championship Series on Tuesday as they outlasted the Milwaukee Brewers in 13 innings. 

Now the series comes down to who can win two of the next three games, with Game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.

Each team is in need of a quality start (Wade Miley for Milwaukee and Clayton Kershaw for L.A.) in Game 5 after both their bullpens were stretched out. 

Thursday's rest day for the trip back to Milwaukee will be welcomed with open arms by the two clubs, with the Game 5 winner likely emerging as the favorite to advance to the World Series.

       

NLCS Schedule

Game 5: Wednesday, October 17, at Los Angeles (5:05 p.m., FS1) 

Game 6: Friday, October 19, at Milwaukee (8:39 p.m., FS1)

Game 7: Saturday, October 20, at Milwaukee (9:09 p.m., FS1)*

*if necessary

     

Odds (via OddsShark)

Game 5

Milwaukee (+135; bet $100 to win $135) 

Los Angeles (-163; bet $163 to win $100)  

      

Prediction

Dodgers in 6

The momentum boost earned from the Game 4 win at home will propel the Dodgers into the driver's seat for Game 5 as Kershaw controls the contest. 

In four of his last six postseason starts, Kershaw has conceded two runs or fewer, and he's been untouchable at home in his last three playoff outings, giving up one earned run in 19 innings. 

Kershaw will continue his postseason form against a Brewers team that recorded two hits after the eighth inning in Game 4. 

The Brewers are hitting .231 in the series, and National League MVP candidate Christian Yelich only has three hits in 16 at-bats (.188). 

The combination of an in-form Kershaw and an underperforming Milwaukee lineup will hand Game 5 to the Dodgers before the series shifts back to Miller Park. 

Based off what we've seen throughout the NLCS, the Dodgers will rely on Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 6 to toss five or six strong innings before handing the ball over to the setup men and eventually Kenley Jansen. 

The simple transition from starter to bullpen is going to be helped by a few early runs, with Manny Machado once again being the catalyst. 

Brewers manager Craig Counsell has shown his hand on multiple occasions, and no matter how impressive one of his starters looks, he's insistent on riding his relievers to success. 

How smart that strategy is at the back end of a seven-game series remains to be seen, but if the Brewers are forced to use up bullpen arms for the majority of Game 5, the day off can only help so much. 

The performances of Kershaw and Ryu will set the tone for victories, while Machado, who has six hits in 17 at-bats, will end up as the NLCS MVP for his clutch hits in both Games 5 and 6 to send the Dodgers into their second straight World Series. 

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will send their ace to the hill in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Friday as they visit the Milwaukee Brewers as solid road favorites at sportsbooks.

Clayton Kershaw will toe the rubber for Los Angeles (9-5, 2.73 ERA) off arguably the most dominant postseason performance of his career, throwing eight scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the NL Division Series, allowing only two hits with no walks and three strikeouts.

     

MLB betting line: The Dodgers opened as -140 favorites (wager $140 to win $100); the total is at seven runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 4.6-4.0, Dodgers (MLB picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or Spotify or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news.

     

Why the Dodgers can pay on the MLB lines

If the Dodgers are going to advance to the World Series for the second year in a row and potentially win it versus either the Houston Astros or Boston Red Sox, Kershaw will undoubtedly play a vital role. His previous shortcomings in the playoffs will be a thing of the past if he can continue to come through in the clutch like he did in the NLDS.

The 30-year-old southpaw does not need to strike out 10-plus batters in an outing to be effective at this stage of his career, but he must remain focused and healthy. As long as that is the case here, then Los Angeles will earn a victory in the series opener.

       

Why the Brewers can pay on the MLB lines

Milwaukee is hoping to capitalize on home-field advantage in this series, starting right away in Game 1. The Brewers owned the best home record in the NL during the regular season at 51-30, and you can bet that the atmosphere will be electric at Miller Park.

The Brewers acquired veteran lefty Gio Gonzalez (10-11, 4.21 ERA) from the Washington Nationals for moments like this and are counting on his experience and leadership in this key spot. Gonzalez will be making his first appearance of the postseason after Milwaukee swept the Colorado Rockies in the NLDS, and his ERA with the team is 2.13.

      

Smart betting pick

This matchup is even on paper and will likely come down to whichever team's pitchers do a better job. While that is not rocket science from a handicapping perspective, it is noteworthy nonetheless.

The Dodgers have a better starting rotation, but the Brewers have a better bullpen, so each team has an edge in that department.

Milwaukee went 5-0 in the five starts Gonzalez made following his arrival from Washington, according to the OddsShark MLB Database, and he will give his team a chance to pull off the upset by pitching well. Take the Brewers as home underdogs.

      

MLB betting trends

The total has gone over in four of Los Angeles' last six games on the road.

Milwaukee is 5-0 in its last five games at home

The total has gone over in eight of Milwaukee's last 12 games at home against Los Angeles.

      

All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

The Colorado Rockies and the Atlanta Braves hope that a change of venue will make a big difference in their respective National League Division Series.

If it doesn't, both of those teams will see their seasons come to an end Sunday. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers lead their respective best-of-5 series by 2-0 margins as the two National League series pick up after a day off Saturday.

The Rockies are hoping that a return to Coors Field will get their bats going against the Milwaukee Brewers, who appeared to do everything right in the two games at Miller Park. The Brewers are riding the bat of potential Most Valuable Player Christian Yelich and the outstanding arms in their lights-out bullpen.

The two teams meet at 4:37 p.m. ET in a game that will be televised by the MLB Network. The Dodgers and Braves are scheduled to play at SunTrust Park at 8:07 p.m., and that game will be broadcast on FS1.

The Rockies are minus-150 favorites to earn their first win in the series, while the Brewers are plus-130 underdogs, according to OddsShark. Those betting on Colorado have to risk $150 to win $100, while those wagerng on the Brewers will put up $100 to earn a profit of $130.

The Dodgers are minus-180 favorites on the road, and the Braves are plus-150 underdogs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOLMWLIUbTE

Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell is giving his team's pitchers for the Brewers' early advantage in the series. "The story of the series so far is how we’ve pitched," Counsell said, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "The pitching has worked together as a team as out-getters and done a wonderful job."

The Brewers will send left-hander Wade Miley to the mound to try to clinch the series against the Rockies. Miley started 16 games for the Brewers during the regular season and was 5-2 with a 2.57 earned-run average and a 1.215 WHIP. Miley has also been quite adept at keeping the ball in the ballpark, as he only gives up 0.3 home runs per nine innings.

German Marquez will take the mound for the Rockies, and he had a 14-11 record with a 3.77 ERA and a 1.204 WHIP. Marquez is a power pitcher who struck out 230 batters in 196.0 innings.

The Dodgers are favored because they are sending Walker Buehler to the mound in Atlanta. Buehler had a remarkable impact this season with an 8-5 record along with a 2.62 ERA, 0.961 WHIP and a strikeout ratio of 9.9 per nine innings.

Kevin Gausman had been scheduled to start for the Braves, but the home team has opted to go with 25-year-old lefty Sean Newcomb. He brings a 12-9 record along with a 3.90 ERA along with a 1.329 WHIP.

Predictions

The Rockies could not solve the Brewers pitching in Milwaukee, but their bats will return to life at Coors Field. Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story should trigger their attack and they will be able to jump out to an early lead. Marquez will keep the Brewers in check and the Rockies will win Game 3 and cut into Milwaukee's series lead.

The Braves have been shut out in back-to-back games in Los Angeles, and they desperately need to get on the board early in Game 3.

That may be difficult in against Buehler, who has been so effective to this point. If Freddie Freeman can do some damage early, the Braves are likely to make this a game, but the belief here is that Manny Machado will come through with a big hit late in the game to give the Dodgers a sweep in the series.

---

All statistical information provided by Baseball-Reference.

When the Atlanta Braves face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Divisional Series matchup, two notable players will be unavailable: Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson and Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling.

According to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and Brad Doolittle, Swanson was left off the NLDS roster as he receives "treatment for a partially torn ligament in his left hand, suffered on a swing in a game last week." He hasn't played since Sept. 25.

Swanson says his left hand is improving “slowly, but surely.” He hopes to be ready if the Braves advance past the NLDS

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) October 4, 2018

Stripling, meanwhile, didn't make the cut for L.A., with the team already carrying 12 pitchers and an eight-man bullpen. He wasn't the only noticeable name left off of the Dodgers' NLDS roster: Veteran second baseman Chase Utley also didn't make the cut.

Stripling's exclusion from the NLDS roster doesn't come as a huge surprise after his September struggles. He posted an 0-3 record, 6.75 ERA and 15 strikeouts in five appearances (four starts).

Ryan Madson has not been particularly good this season, but opposing hitters OPS'd .966 against Stripling in the second half. So it goes.

— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) October 4, 2018

With the Dodgers rolling with Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Rich Hill as the starters and Ryan Madson, Kenta Maeda, Scott Alexander, Caleb Ferguson, Pedro Baez, Dylan Floro and Alex Wood as options out of the bullpen to get the game to closer Kenley Jensen, Stripling was expendable.

As for Swanson, the third-year shortstop had an up-and-down year, hitting .238 with 14 homers, 59 RBI, 51 runs and 10 stolen bases. He'll be replaced by Charlie Culberson, who hit .270 for the Braves this year with 12 homers and 45 RBI, largely in a utility role.

"He's probably been arguably maybe our most valuable player," Braves manager Brian Snitker said, per Gonzalez and Doolittle. 

Culberson, a former Dodger, is ready for the moment.

"I'm very familiar with the team over there, and I've definitely enjoyed my year so far here," he said, per Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But we're not done yet. Our team has played really hard, just like everybody else, but we're in this position for a reason. There's no need to let off the gas now."

  

The Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs still have work to do to win the National League West and Central division titles, respectively, but both helped their cause with victories Thursday.

The Rockies won their seventh straight game with a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, and they head into the final weekend of the season with a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Dave Roberts and the Dodgers (88-71) were idle Thursday as they traveled from Arizona to San Francisco. They will conclude the regular season with a three-game series against the Giants, their traditional and oft-times hated rival. 

The Rockies (89-70) conclude their regular season with a three-game series at Coors Field with the Washington Nationals.

The Cubs (93-66) picked up a 3-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field, and they lead the Milwaukee Brewers (92-67) by one game with the final weekend of the season at hand.

The Cubs and Brewers clinched postseason appearances Wednesday when the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals (87-72), but the two teams are in a tight battle for the NL Central title.

The Brewers appear to have the better matchup in the final series of the year as they host the Detroit Tigers (64-94). The Cubs close the regular season with a three-game series against the Cardinals.

The Brewers would need to pick up two full games in the standings to win the division outright. If they pick up one game during the final series, the two teams would be tied and they would meet in a one-game tiebreaker at Wrigley Field.

If that happens, that game would not be considered a playoff game. It is Game 163, and the statistics accumulated in that game would be considered part of the regular season.

The team that does not win the division title will play in the NL Wild Card Game.

With NL West race coming down to the wire, second-place Dodgers counted their chickens before they hatched as #Rockies caught fire, jumped L.A. in the standings: https://t.co/i4QQwmfxOS #MLB

— Kyle Newman (@KyleNewmanDP) September 27, 2018

If the Dodgers can't gain any ground on the Rockies, Colorado would clinch its first division title. If the Dodgers pick up one game, those two teams would meet in Game 163 at Dodger Stadium, while the Dodgers would win the division outright if they pick up two games over the final weekend.

If the Rockies win the National League West crown, the Dodgers and the Cardinals will battle for the other wild-card spot.

Going into the weekend, the Dodgers are 88-71, one game ahead of the 87-72 St. Louis Cardinals.

While the Rockies are surging and have an excellent opportunity to win the division, they have not clinched a playoff spot yet. Their magic number is two to ensure they will play postseason baseball. The Dodgers have a magic number of three.

The Cubs have a magic number of three to clinch the division title.

If the Rockies, Dodgers and Cardinals all have the same record at the conclusion of Sunday's action, the Rockies and Dodgers would play for the division title, while the loser would play the Cardinals Tuesday for a wild-card berth.

The NL Wild Card game is scheduled for Tuesday, but in the event of the three-team tie mentioned above, it would be played Wednesday.

The Atlanta Braves (89-70) have clinched the NL East title, and they cannot earn the National League's No. 1 seed since their maximum win total is 92, while the Cubs already have 93 victories. 

The Rockies cannot win more than 92 games, so that means the Cubs or Brewers will end up with the top seed.

      

Predictions

The Brewers have won four games in a row and seven of 10, and they have an excellent chance of sweeping the Tigers in the final series.

It will be difficult for the Cubs to do the same to the Cardinals. While St. Louis cannot be happy after being swept at home by Milwaukee this week, the Cards should be able to win at least one game or possibly two against the Cubs.

The Brewers and Cubs will end up in a one-game playoff for the NL Central title, and the home team would certainly have the best chance to win that game.

In the NL West, the Dodgers will have a difficult time with the Giants, and nothing would make San Francisco and its fans happier than knocking the Dodgers out of the playoffs. San Francisco wins two of three in the final series.

If that happens, the Rockies would need just one win against the Nationals to clinch the division title. We see them winning at least two and earning their first division flag. 

Here's how we see the National League playing out:

Atlanta Braves earn the No. 3 seed as the NL East champions

Chicago Cubs defeat the Milwaukee Brewers in one-game playoff and earn No. 1 seed as NL Central champions

Brewers earn No. 1 wild-card spot

Colorado Rockies earn the No. 2 seed as the NL West champions.

Los Angeles earn the No. 2 wild-card spot.

The Chicago Cubs (40-28) and Los Angeles Dodgers (37-33) will square off in a doubleheader on Tuesday after rain and a power outage prevented Monday's series opener from taking place. In that game, the Cubs were listed as home underdogs for just the second time this season, and both times have come with Tyler Chatwood (3-5, 4.12 ERA) on the hill.

MLB betting line: The Dodgers opened as -126 favorites (wager $126 to win $100), according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 4.9-4.1, Dodgers (MLB picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.

       

Why the Dodgers can pay on the MLB lines

Chatwood is still expected to start the first game of the doubleheader, which is good news for the Dodgers since he is 2-3 with a 4.83 ERA in seven starts at Wrigley Field this year. The 28-year-old right-hander has struggled mightily with his control in his first season in Chicago, totaling 58 walks and 58 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.

Los Angeles will go with Kenta Maeda (4-4, 3.61 ERA) opposite Chatwood, and the team has won three of his last four starts. Maeda has allowed two runs in 19.2 innings during those three victories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdQ2Zwzdu8

         

Why the Cubs can pay on the MLB lines

While the Cubs may be underdogs again in the first game, they figure to have an advantage in the second with Mike Montgomery (2-2, 3.31 ERA) expected to make his fifth start of the year. Montgomery had been one of their best relievers prior to heading to the starting rotation out of necessity with Yu Darvish on the shelf, and he has delivered recently by allowing one run or less in each of his past four outings.

Chicago will also be happy to face one its former players in Los Angeles starter Rich Hill (1-2, 6.20 ERA), with his team losing the previous four times he has managed to pitch at least an inning. Hill (finger blister) is coming off the disabled list here and starting for the first time since May 19.

        

Smart betting pick

The Dodgers and Cubs have become rivals the last couple seasons due to their consecutive head-to-head matchups in the National League Championship Series. That said, Chicago has dropped seven of their past eight meetings, including the 2017 NLCS in which Los Angeles won in five games.

Prior to that, the Cubs took five of six games from the Dodgers, including three in the 2016 NLCS en route to winning the World Series. Los Angeles has played better overall lately though, winning 11 of 14, so look for the road team to get the best of Chicago and continue its recent series dominance.

       

MLB betting trends

Los Angeles is 5-1 in its last six games.

Los Angeles is 9-1 in its last 10 games on the road.

The total has gone under in seven of Chicago's last 10 games.

       

All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

Two teams heading in opposite directions will meet at Wrigley Field on Tuesday when the Chicago Cubs (33-23) host the Philadelphia Phillies (31-26) as large home favorites at the sportsbooks.

The Cubs have won four straight games along with eight of their past 10, while the Phillies have lost three in a row and seven of 10.

            

MLB betting line: The Cubs opened as -213 favorites (wager $213 to win $100), according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

MLB betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 2.6-2.3, Cubs (MLB picks on every game)

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.

              

Why the Phillies can pay on the MLB lines

Despite some recent struggles, Philadelphia has still played well overall this season as one of the surprise early contenders in the National League East.

The Phillies may be a bit undervalued in this spot and will be sending righty Zach Eflin (1-2, 4.50 ERA) to the mound off back-to-back rough outings.

The good news is the 24-year-old was outstanding in his first three starts of the year prior to that, allowing just three earned runs and 10 hits in 17.1 innings for a 1.56 ERA, so he is due to rebound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXzwXB25xyk

             

Why the Cubs can pay on the MLB lines

Chicago will be rolling with its best pitcher at Wrigley over the last few seasons in Kyle Hendricks (4-4, 3.19 ERA), who is 3-3 with a 2.38 ERA in six outings there this year, with opposing batters hitting only .184.

In the previous three seasons combined, the 28-year-old has also gone 15-8 with a 2.56 ERA at home.

The pitching staff of the Cubs has done a great job lately overall too, giving up two runs or less in four of their past five games. Offensively, they are averaging 5.5 runs per game, making them even tougher to beat.

               

Smart betting pick

Philadelphia has struggled in this matchup recently, losing nine of the previous 13 meetings dating back to 2016, according to the OddsShark MLB Database.

The Cubs have also won six of the last seven between the teams at Wrigley, with four decided by three runs or more.

Each victory during their winning streak has been decided by at least two runs as well, making the runline an attractive betting option here. In fact, you have to go back to May 15 to find the last time Chicago won a game by only one run.

Take the Cubs to beat an opponent by two runs or more for the 12th consecutive time.

           

MLB betting trends

Philadelphia is 1-4 in its last five games.

Philadelphia is 1-4 in its last five games on the road.

Chi Cubs is 7-1 in its last eight games.

              

All MLB odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.

Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor didn't take long to get Los Angeles on the board during Tuesday's Game 1 victory over the Houston Astros.

Taylor swung at the first pitch delivered by Astros starter Dallas Keuchel and knocked it over the left field fence, becoming just the fourth player in World Series history to lead off Game 1 of the Series with a home run, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

The three players to accomplish the same feat are the Baltimore Orioles' Don Buford (1969), the Boston Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia (2007) and the Kansas City Royals' Alcides Escobar (2015). Each of the other three instances of a leadoff homer also occurred in the bottom of the first inning.

Through his first three seasons at the major league level, Taylor played in only 120 games, racking up just one total home run and eight stolen bases. He displayed some speed in the minors, but nowhere near the power he's shown in 2017. The 27-year-old cranked out 21 home runs during the regular season, far and away his best season as a professional, and stole 17 bases.

Taylor's power has translated to the postseason as well. In the two series prior to the Fall Classic, he had two homers.

The Dodgers and Astros return to the diamond for Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday, with Rich Hill set to take the mound for Los Angeles and Justin Verlander starting for Houston.

It was not pretty, but the Chicago Cubs staved off elimination and remain alive to defend their World Series crown.

A stressful eighth inning saw the Los Angeles Dodgers close the gap in Wednesday's Game 4, but the Cubs survived to force one more game at Wrigley Field in the National League Championship Series. Now they will try to get another starting performance like the one Jake Arrieta tossed in Game 4 to try to move the series back to Los Angeles.

Is that plausible? Perhaps, but familiar issues still exist for Chicago. With that in mind, here is how you can catch the rest of the NLCS action, with OddsShark.com providing the latest chances each will go all the way.

            

Series Odds

Cubs: 50-1

Dodgers: 91-100

                    

Game 5

When: Thursday, Oct. 19 at 8 p.m. ET

Television: TBS

Live Stream: TBS Live

          

Game 6*

When: Saturday, Oct. 21 at 4 p.m.

Television: TBS

Live Stream: TBS Live

Game 7*

When: Sunday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Television: TBS

Live Stream: TBS Live

         

Game 5 Preview

If not for Arrieta, this series could already be over.

The righty was nearly perfect in Game 4, allowing just three hits over 6.2 innings. His lone blemish was leaving one pitch up in the zone for Cody Bellinger to go yard in the third frame.

Unless the Cubs can get similar production out of Jose Quintana in Game 5 with an extra inning or two of work, they could be trouble.

Offense is still a serious problem for Chicago in the NLCS, as they have only scored seven runs thus far. The team is not generating enough hits to get men on base, which has resulted in all seven of those runs coming off of home runs, including five solo shots.

As Christopher Kamka of NBC Sports Chicago pointed out, consistently getting on base has been the death of the Cubs' lineup:

#Cubs postseason batting average
First 8 games: .172
Tonight (5-29): .172
They won, so whatever

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) October 19, 2017

Perhaps the most troubling thing from this series#Dodgers batters: 26 Walks, 32 Strikeouts#Cubs batters: 4 Walks, 43 Strikeouts

— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) October 19, 2017

A lack of offensive support has left the glaring weakness of relief pitching exposed. The Cubs bullpen has given up a porous eight earned runs in just 13.1 NLCS innings, including 13 walks. To make matters worse, the team's most reliable reliever, Wade Davis, is coming off a 48-pitch save on Wednesday, which likely makes him unavailable for Game 5.

If all of that is not enough reason for Quintana—who owns an excellent 1.59 ERA this postseason but allowed both of his runs in the Game 1 loss—to throw the game of his life, then adding in Clayton Kershaw on the other side certainly suffices.

With a 2.36 ERA in 10 seasons, Kershaw is the greatest pitcher of this generation, but he has lost his dominance in the postseason. In 100.1 career playoff frames, his ERA is a pedestrian 4.57, and he has not been great in 2017, with six runs allowed in 11.1 innings. That includes two runs in five innings in a Dodgers comeback 5-2 victory in Game 1.

In fact, the Cubs franchise has had Kershaw's number throughout his career, per ESPN's Jesse Rogers:

11 career home runs off Kershaw by Cubs hitters, most of any team not in the NL west.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 15, 2017

Still, this is Kershaw, and he should strike fear into any lineup he faces. He is also pitching with much more room for error than Quintana, considering the Dodgers' bullpen has allowed just three hits and no runs over 14 innings in the NLCS.

Even if Kershaw allows a run or two, he should still be fine. Los Angeles' two runs were its lowest output of the postseason, as the Dodgers are averaging just under four runs a game this postseason. Having Justin Turner put up MVP-caliber numbers also helps.

In 26 at-bats this postseason, Turner is hitting .423 with three homers and 11 RBI to go with six walks. He's kept in going in the NLCS, batting .385 with two homers and six RBI.

This is no fluke for Turner, who is among the greatest playoff hitters in MLB history, per ESPN:

No one in MLB history has had a higher postseason OBP than Justin Turner. pic.twitter.com/f4FwugVxsp

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 19, 2017

Everything about this series has pointed to the Dodgers advancing, especially now since only the 2004 Boston Red Sox have ever come back from a 0-3 deficit. Los Angeles is getting much better hitting and pitching on a consistent basis, while the hostile confines of Wrigley Field have not had much of an effect. The team owned the NL's second-best road record this season, and it already took a game in Chicago while nearly coming back in Game 4.

Look for Kershaw to throw at least six solid innings to allow the bullpen to close it down. Quintana has only thrown at least seven innings three times since joining the Cubs in July, and he will be hard-pressed to do so in Game 5 against such a potent Dodgers lineup.

Expect Los Angeles to take advantage of the Chicago bullpen late, thus securing a trip to the World Series.

        

Statistics are courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.