Braves, Dodgers Set for a Rare Pitcher's Duel

With the Los Angeles Dodgers refusing to go quietly, the Atlanta Braves would love nothing more than to see Max Fried duplicate what he did in the series opener as the teams square off Saturday in Game 6 at Globe Life Field. Fried has been one of the top pitchers in baseball and is being counted on to lead Atlanta to the World Series after they blew their first shot at advancing.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Dodgers remain the oddsmakers' choice and have seen their Game 6 odds improve from -139 to between -150 and -160 depending on where you shop. The Sportsbook total of 8 has held steady.

Starting Pitchers Analysis

Max Fried (0-0, 2.65 ERA in playoffs) has carried over much of the success he enjoyed in the regular season; take out one bad inning in the NLDS against the Miami Marlins, and he has allowed just two runs in his other 16 postseason innings. He held the Dodgers to one run on four hits in six innings in the NLCS opener, racking up nine strikeouts along the way.

The Dodgers send Walker Buehler (0-0, 2.77 ERA in playoffs) to the mound to complete the Game 1 pitching rematch. Buehler was also effective in Monday's opener, allowing one run on three hits over five innings while fanning seven. The Dodgers might opt to stretch him out more in Game 6, with Buehler having averaged just 4.3 innings over his previous four starts.

Atlanta News & Notes

The Braves jumped out to an early lead, then watched the Dodgers erupt for six runs in the sixth and seventh innings to put the game away and force a Game 6. Atlanta can at least take solace in the fact that, while the offense sputtered over the final seven innings, it had plenty of chances, going just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position on the evening.

The trouble heading into Saturday afternoon's tilt is that four regulars in the Atlanta lineup are having rough series at the plate, with Ronald Acuna, Travis D'Arnaud, Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley all hitting below .200 in the NLCS. Acuna's struggles are particularly concerning; he went 0-for-4 in Game 5 and has just three hits – and only one extra-base hit – in the series.

LA Dodgers News & Notes

Los Angeles was able to cruise through the first two rounds of the playoffs without having to go deep a whole lot – but it's clear that reaching the World Series for the third time in four years will require more power. And that's what guided Los Angeles to the Game 6 victory, as the Dodgers got three home runs – including two from red-hot Corey Seager – to remain alive.

That said, the Dodgers have their own slumping sluggers – among them, star leadoff hitter Mookie Betts and former 47-home-run hitter Cody Bellinger. Betts went 2-for-4 in Game 5 but is hitting just .222, while Bellinger is batting .150 in the series following a hitless performance Friday. Bellinger whiffed three times in the victory and has now struck out nine times in the NLCS.

Betting Pick: UNDER 8 (-110)

This series has become a bit of a slugfest, but with the way both Game 6 starters have pitched, we like the chances of this game reversing course and coming in UNDER the total.