Phillies vs. Dodgers NLDS schedule, odds, Game 2 pick: L.A. up 1-0 in battle of heavyweights

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies opened their best-of-five Division Series on Saturday with a 5-3 Dodgers comeback win. The Dodgers completed a two-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds in the Wild Card Series to advance to this point. The Phillies, meanwhile, earned a first-round bye by virtue of having the National League’s second-best record. 

The Dodgers and Phillies entered the series as the owners of the best World Series title odds, and whoever prevails in this best-of-five series will advance to the NLCS, where they’ll play for the pennant. Bet Phillies vs. Dodgers at DraftKings Sportsbook, where new users get $200 in bonus bets with a winning $5 wager:

Phillies vs. Dodgers: Game 2 info

• Time: 6:08 p.m. ET | Date: Monday, Oct. 6
• Location: Citizens Bank Park — Philadelphia
• TV channel: TBS | Live stream: HBO Max
• Starting pitchers: LHP Blake Snell (LAD) vs. LHP Jesús Luzardo (PHI)
• Odds: Phillies -101, Dodgers -120 (via DraftKings)

Game 2 storylines

Dodgers: Even with a comeback win and a strong, but not perfect, outing from Shohei Ohtani in his postseason playoff debut, the Dodgers’ bullpen remains the team’s biggest risk. Could Roki Sasaki be the answer? The rookie, who struggled in his first MLB season, has looked dominant out of the bullpen in the playoffs so far.

Phillies: Until Teoscar Hernández’s go-ahead three-run home run in Game 1, the Phillies pitchers were largely able to shut down the top of the Dodgers lineup. It’s hard to imagine they can keep that up, but they’ll need to in order to take the series.

Game 2 prediction

Expect another tight one. Snell looked like a playoff ace last outing while Luzardo can miss bats as well as anyone in baseball. Plus, he’s a lefty and that helps to at least slightly neutralize Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. I’ll say the Phillies find a way, but the Dodgers have the starting pitching advantage. — Matt Snyder