The 2026 National League Championship Series (NLCS) begins with Game 1 on Sunday night. It’ll be a rematch of a lopsided 2025 National League Division Series (NLDS) showdown, as the Dodgers and Brewers clash. Los Angeles advanced after a 3-1 series win over Atlanta, while Milwaukee moved on after a 3-1 series win over San Diego. There are a ton of ways for sports bettors to get in on the playoff action. Here's a look at three MLB player props that stick out on Sunday, October 11th.
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Sunday's Best MLB Player Props & Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Tarik Skubal Over 17.5 Outs Recorded (-160)
Starting pitching depth is part of what makes the Dodgers so dangerous in the postseason. Los Angeles is handing the ball to Tarik Skubal in Game 1. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow will follow in some order. This allows Dave Roberts to let his starters approach a triple-digit pitch count with little worry. After all, Skubal would be on regular rest to start Game 5 (if necessary) on Friday night.
Skubal is built for the moment. The masterful southpaw has recorded at least 18 outs in each of his seven career playoff starts, while throwing more than 99 pitches just once in that stretch. Keep in mind that Skubal also finished six frames in eight of his 11 starts since joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline. The Brewers’ roster is slashing a dismal .209/.242/.264 with zero home runs in 91 at-bats facing Skubal. Bank on the star arm stepping up.
Joey Ortiz Under 0.5 Hits (+105)
Battling Tarik Skubal is a tough task for even the best MLB hitters. The talented hurler strikes out batters with ease, ranking in the 90th percentile or higher in chase rate (36.6%) and whiff rate (31.7%). Of course, less contact at the plate means fewer opportunities to get a hit. Overall, Skubal has surrendered four hits or fewer in four of his previous five outings. The Braves mustered only two hits across six innings against Skubal during the NLDS.
The Brewers face an uphill climb, especially Joey Ortiz. The infielder has yet to best Skubal, going 0-for-11 with a whopping eight strikeouts in past encounters. Take note that Ortiz went 1-for-10 versus the Padres and has now gone 3-for-40 through 16 career playoff contests. Expect those struggles to continue on Sunday. Anyone in search of more bang for their buck could wager on Ortiz to tally at least two strikeouts at +300 odds.
Shohei Ohtani Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (+145)
Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski will toe the rubber in Game 1. The favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award finished the regular season with a 1.80 ERA and 0.80 WHIP. However, his NLDS start did not go as planned. A high pitch count forced the 24-year-old off the mound after four innings, during which he gave up two earned runs on four hits and one walk. Misiorowski’s triple-digit fastball got fouled off left and right.
No one on Los Angeles’ roster has found more success against Misiorowski than Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese phenom is 2-for-7 with one home run, one triple and two RBIs. It’s worth noting that Ohtani is a combined 11-for-21 with two home runs and six RBIs versus the Milwaukee relief trio of Trevor Megill, Aaron Ashby and Antonio Senzatela. Trust Ohtani’s experience to pay off with a productive day at the dish.
