It’s a heavyweight fight in the National League Division Series. The Philadelphia Phillies and reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers are going head-to-head in the best-of-five series over the next week. The Dodgers and Phillies are seen as the two heaviest World Series favorites by oddsmakers, and it will be a star-studded affair when they get together.
The Dodgers will have Shohei Ohtani making his postseason pitching debut in Game 1 on Saturday (full series schedule here), and the two-way superstar will be joined in the lineup by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández as L.A. looks to become MLB’s first repeat champ since 2000. The Phillies are without ace Zack Wheeler, but they’ll send lefty Christopher Sánchez to the mound to go up against Ohtani, and their lineup is fueled by Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner.
The Dodgers made quick work of the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series, pulling off a two-game sweep earlier this week. The Phillies received a bye to the NLDS after winning the NL East and finishing with the second-best record in the NL (96-66).
So who will move on to face either the Milwaukee Brewers or Chicago Cubs in the NLCS? Below are CBS Sports expert picks for Phillies-Dodgers.
Phillies vs. Dodgers expert picks
Series odds (via Caesars): Phillies +105, Dodgers -125
Anderson: This is the NL version of the Yankees-Blue Jays series for me. Two really good clubs, both quite capable of winning here and then winning the whole thing. I had the Dodgers taking the NL pennant, so I’m standing by that selection. Their rotation is as healthy as it’s been all season, and I have to imagine that their bullpen — second in meltdowns — will be somewhat improved by the additions of starters Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan, and Roki Sasaki. Pick: Dodgers in 5
Axisa: The Wild Card Series did not do much to convince me the Dodgers are in good shape in the bullpen. If they struggle to throw strikes again, the Phillies will make them pay in a way the Reds just aren’t able to do. I expect five very close games and perhaps the most entertaining series of the entire postseason. I just like Philadelphia’s top to bottom pitching depth a bit more, and they can more or less match the Dodgers’ offense. I would feel better about this prediction if Zack Wheeler were healthy. Pick: Phillies in 5
McWilliams: A clash of the titans. Why can’t this be the NLCS? The Dodgers look good, and I am tempted to pick them. But this seems like it’s the Phillies’ year. They will be inspired by this being their last “dance” and come out on top. Pick: Phillies in 5
Perry: This series is really too good to be “just” a Division Series. The Phillies will miss Zack Wheeler, of course, but no other team is as well positioned to handle such a major rotation loss. As well, Jhoan Duran has really stabilized the Philly bullpen when it comes to leverage situations, whereas the Dodgers’ pen has been a serious liability of late. I think that makes the difference in what turns out to be a classic of the LDS genre. Pick: Phillies in 5
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