2021 MLB NLDS Odds, Picks and Betting Preview

The 2021 MLB National League Division Series get underway on Friday. Milwaukee hosts Atlanta and the Giants host the Dodgers.

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Los Angeles is still the overall favorite to win the World Series, but they will have to get past their rival San Francisco. The Brewers are favored to beat Atlanta and advance to the NLCS.

Here’s a look at the 2021 MLB NLDS odds, picks, and betting preview.

Atlanta Braves vs. Milwaukee Brewers Series Prediction

Series Odds: Braves (+120) vs. Brewers (-140)

Milwaukee will host Atlanta in this best-of-five National League Division Series. The Brewers, the No. 2 seed in the NL, won the Central Division while the Braves won the East for the fourth season in a row. The Braves won 12 of their final 14 games of the regular season, including a three-game sweep of NL East second-place Philadelphia. Those wins ensured a fourth straight division title.

In contrast, the Brewers won just four of the last 14 games of the regular season. Six of those losses were to the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals and three were to an equally hot Dodgers club in the final series of the season.

Milwaukee holds the pitching advantage. The Brewers staff finished the season third in ERA at 3.48. Atlanta was eighth (3.88). The Brewers Corbin Burnes was the NL ERA champ (2.43). He will start Game 1. Milwaukee won 18 of his 28 starts this season.

The Braves have a good one in Charlie Morton, who will start Game 1 for Atlanta. Morton went 14-6 this season with a 3.34 ERA, but the Braves only won 17 of his 33 starts this season. Max Fried also won 14 games and Ian Anderson added 10 wins.

With Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, and Adrian Houser; the Brewers staff is better. There were eight pitchers in the majors this season that pitched at least 140 innings and had an adjusted ERA (ERA+) of 150. Three of those pitchers are Brewers. Advantage, Milwaukee.

PREDICTION: BREWERS (-140)

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Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants Series Prediction

Series Odds: Dodgers (-160) vs. Giants (+135)

Even after needing 11 innings and a walk-off homer to advance, the Los Angeles Dodgers are still favored to win not only their ALDS series against rival San Francisco, but also the World Series. The Giants surprised everyone this season by becoming the best team in baseball.

The Giants have a lineup that can score. They finished fifth in the majors in runs per game (4.96). The Giants were second in MLB in home runs despite not having a single player with 30 or more. Three players – Brandon Crawford (24), Mike Yastrzemski (25), and Brandon Belt (29) – had 20 or more.

On top of that, the Giants have one of the best collections of pitchers in baseball. Their team ERA of 3.24 is second only to the Dodgers. Their bullpen ERA of 2.99 was the best in the majors.

The Dodgers can also score (5.11 runs per game) and had the best pitching staff in MLB before losing Trevor Bauer to off-the-field issues and Clayton Kershaw to injury.

San Francisco won the season series with Los Angeles 10-9. That allowed the Giants to win the NL West for the first time since 2012. Ironically, the Giants won the World Series that year sweeping the Detroit Tigers. The Giants division win also marked the first time in eight seasons that the Dodgers did not claim the division crown.

Having won the season series and having the home-field advantage, there is simply too much value on San Francisco to win the series at +135.

PREDICTION: GIANTS (+135)

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