The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to be solid favorites in the upcoming National League Championship Series that will open on Monday from Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Gamblers will be treated to the two best teams in the National League. Beyond that these are two of the best offensive teams in the game. The Dodgers and Braves can and do score at will and no lead is ever safe against them. Ultimately, however, the old adage of pitching being 90% of the game may prove to be the difference here. Atlanta boasts the best bullpen in the game but the Dodgers ranked third best. Starting pitching is where the Dodgers could have the ultimate advantage.
2020 National League Championship Series Odds
Atlanta Braves +201
Los Angeles Dodgers -225
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas
TV Coverage: FOX or FS1
2020 National League Championship Series Schedule (Best of Seven)
Game 1: Monday, October 12, TBD
Game 2: Tuesday, October 13, TBD
Game 3: Wednesday, October 14, TBD
Game 4: Thursday, October 15, TBD
Game 5: Friday, October 16, TBD
Game 6: Saturday, October 17, TBD
Game 7: Sunday, October 18, TBD
2020 National League Championship Series Odds Analysis
In the eyes of the betting public the Dodgers and Braves have the reputation of being playoff chokers. The Braves are notorious for having great regular seasons only to collapse in the playoffs. The Dodgers last won the World Series all the way back in 1988. Their most recent World Series appearances in 2017 and 2018 ended in bitter defeat and expensive losses for gamblers. Which leads to the undeniable fact that the Dodgers are one of the most public teams on the board. So too is Las Vegas a Dodgers town. All of that gets baked into the price making Los Angeles consistently overvalued.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The best team in the regular season were the Dodgers at a record of 43-17. Los Angles was the top run producing team in baseball and was also first for home runs and second for OPS. On the mound the Dodgers had the best ranked earned run average in the game and were also ranked first for WHIP.
In the playoffs the Dodgers have been utterly dominant as they swept the Milwaukee Brewers in two games followed by a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres.
Atlanta Braves
The Braves were also strong in the regular season with a record of 40-25. Atlanta ranked second in MLB for runs scored and home runs and was the top ranked team for OPS. Pitching was not as strong for Atlanta as it was for the Dodgers. Atlanta ranked 15th in MLB for staff earned run average and was 17th for WHIP.
Atlanta was also undefeated in the playoffs with a two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds and a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins.
Top Players
For the Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager had a team best .943 OPS among regulars in the lineup. Seager had 38 runs, 12 doubles, 15 home runs, 41 runs batted in and a .307 average.
Right fielder Mookie Betts added 16 home runs and a .927 OPS while left fielder AJ Pollock had 16 home runs with an OPS of .881. Top starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw was 6-2 with a 2.16 ERA.
Atlanta designated hitter Marcell Ozuna had a 1.067 OPS with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. First baseman Freddie Freeman added a 1.102 OPS with 13 home runs. Max Fried was the top starting pitcher at 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA
NLCS Bookmaker Free Pick
Atlanta is a tremendous value in this series and will get a price better than what is warranted. Los Angeles is perpetually overpriced.
NLCS Bookmaker Best Bet: Atlanta Braves
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