Two games are on the schedule as both National League Division Series (NLDS) get the spotlight. Can the Cubs and Phillies keep their seasons going, or will the Dodgers and Brewers end it tonight?
Let's break down these games and give our top MLB picks & predictions.
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Thursday's Best MLB Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Milwaukee Brewers (-124) at Chicago Cubs (+102) | O/U 7.0 (-115/-105)
The Cubs’ bats found the spark early in Game 3 with four runs in the first. Even though the bats were quiet after that, they were able to hold on and grab a 4-3 win. They will need to keep finding that for two more games, or else their season is done. They need the offense to get it going. Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner have been great at the top, and we finally saw Kyle Tucker contribute, but the rest of the order has been silent.
This game could rest on the bullpen, and they'll be ready with Jameson Taillon giving them four innings and using five relievers after that yesterday.
We'll see if this was just one bad game for the Brewers’ offense, or if Chicago’s pitchers have figured them out. The important thing was that the Cubs kept Christian Yelich (.385 batting average), William Contreras (.417) and Jackson Chourio (.545) quiet in Game 3, as they went a combined 3-for-12 with one run. They were hitting well through the first two games.
Milwaukee might also be in line to have a bullpen game. Even though Quinn Priester only went 0.2 innings, they only used four relievers and had starter Jose Quintana go three innings.
With potentially a lot of different pitchers on the mound, it could come down to one big offensive moment, but we won't see many opportunities in what could be a low-scoring game.
Pick: Under 7.0 Runs (-105)
Philadelphia Phillies (+108) at Los Angeles Dodgers (-132) | O/U 8.0 (-102/-120)
The Phillies were able to keep their season alive for at least one more day. They still allowed the Dodgers to stay close for most of Game 3, but a five-run, eighth-inning outburst by Philadelphia sent everyone home. Putting up crooked numbers has been a problem for the Phillies, as they have only been able to score in five innings in total in these three games. They need to keep building pressure against a Los Angeles team that can have a big burst, just like they did in Game 1.
Cristopher Sanchez will get the ball again, coming off an excellent performance in Game 1, where he went 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits. If the bullpen holds them off, this is an entirely different series.
The Dodgers had plenty of opportunities to end this series on Wednesday, but they went just 1-7 with runners in scoring position. At some point, Shohei Ohtani has to get it going, as he's been struggling this postseason, hitting just .174, but they've thankfully had Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez produce at the top of the lineup.
Tyler Glasnow gets the ball after a relief appearance in Game 1, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings. This could be a case where, if Glasnow gets into any trouble, Dave Roberts might rely on his bullpen to keep this game close.
Los Angeles does not want this series to go back to Philly. If Kershaw had pitched better in Game 3, the Dodgers might have been more inspired to try to end this series. The Phillies might have prolonged their season by just one more night.
Pick: Dodgers Moneyline (-132)
