Betting Preview For MLB Playoffs

The MLB Playoffs Wild Card and Divisional Round are complete and four teams are left to determine the American League and National League Pennant winners. 

The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners advanced to the ALCS as the top-2 seeds in the American League. Top-seed Milwaukee Brewers and defending World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers as the 3-seed will play for the National League Pennant. 

More ALCS and NLCS previews, picks, matchups, stats and information you can bet on. 

MLB Championship Series Odds

- Seattle Mariners (+127) - Toronto Blue Jays  (-147)
- Milwaukee Brewers (+180 ) - Los Angeles Dodgers (-210) 

Leading online sportsbook BetOnline has series and opening game MLB odds and pitching matchups, along with reduced juice odds. Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. We'll add some picks and opinions as well. 

ALCS Game 1 Odds Comparison:

BOOK A
SEA +134 TOR -164 (30cents)

BOOK B
SEA +136 TOR -162 (26c)

BOOK C
SEA +140 TOR -165 (25c)

BetOnline
SEA +140 TOR -155 (15c)

— Dave Mason (@DaveMasonBOL) October 12, 2025

Game 1 - Sunday, Oct. 12 

Seattle (+141) at Toronto (-156), Total 8 runs
- B. Miller vs. K. Gausman 

The Blue Jays are rested and ready to take on a Mariners team that survived a 15-inning walk-off win over the Tigers in Game 5 Friday. Seattle is shooting to make their first-ever World Series appearance, but the Mariners are up against it in Game 1. Toronto starter Kevin Gausman has allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 13 of his past 18 starts. His regular season 3.59 ERA and nearly 4/1 K/BB ratio with 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings is a perfect pitch to start the series. Gausman and the Blue Jays pitchers are supported by big bats and an offense that has averaged a league-high 5.6 runs per game since the All-Star Break. Seattle starts another right-hander Bryce Miller, who allwed 7 runs in 5 innings in his lone start against the Blue Jays earlier this season. However, his 5.68 ERA with 1.7 home runs and 3.4 walks per nine innings during the regular season make it tough to support against the Blue Jays lineup in Game 1 and a special environment in Toronto at the Rogers Center. Under-the-radar is the Blue Jay's strong defensive play in the field. The Blue Jays went a AL-best 54-27 at home this season while scoring the third-most runs at home in the majors. Toronto was also the toughest team to strike out during the regular season, and they registered more home runs than strikeouts in the first two games at home against the Yankees in the ALDS. Superstar Vladdy Guerrero Jr. slashed and smashed going 9-for-17 with three home runs, including a monster grand slam in Game 2.

Pick: Blue Jays first 5 innings -0.5 runs (-125) and Opinion Blue Jays runline -1.5 runs (+120).

Update: Game 1 pick won on Blue Jays first 5, and lost on game opinion. 

Wild Card Round picks and opinions went 4-1 in Game 1.

Game 2 - Monday, Oct. 13

Seattle (+120) at Toronto (-132), Total 7.5 runs
- L. Gilbert vs. T. Yesavage 
Mariners lead series 1-0. Adjusted series price SEA (-200), TOR (+174)

Check back Monday for Dodgers-Brewers Game 1 updates and any picks along with additional information you can bet on. 

Game 1 - Monday, Oct. 13

Los Angeles (-147) at Milwaukee (+133)
- B. Snell vs. Q. Priester

No series or Game 1 side/total bets. 

Prop Bet: Blake Snell to allow over 1.5 runs. You can get this around -125 at top online sportsbooks for select props. Snell has been nails while recording nine or more strikeouts in four of his last five starts. But on the road against the Brewers lineup for Game 1 is tougher. The Brewers bats were collectively among the best hitting teams at.258 this season. Snell is also 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA and 1.36 WHIP vs. the Brewers in three outings. 

The Brewers went 6-0 vs. the Dodgers in the regular season while limited LA's potent lineup to just 16 runs. All six of those games were in July. But Milwaukee did not face starting pitchers Blake Snell or Shohei Ohtani, who will both pitch in the NLCS. The highest-paid Dodgers payroll topped the majors for the 26-man roster at $240 million, and $346 million for end-of-season 40 man roster. Compare that to the top-seed Brewers, who led the majors with 97 wins on a 26-man payroll of $122 million, No. 14 in MLB and 40 man roster of $115 million. Money matters, but so does value, and the leading online sportsbooks know who you prefer to bet and the tax is on the Dodgers.   

VSiN notes that FanGraphs’ all-encompassing BsR metric for baserunning showed the Brewers were the best in baseball 90 feet at a time. The Dodgers were No. 18. But the Dodgers were the biggest bashers, hitting 244 home runs to the Brewers 166.

The Dodgers ranked seventh in the regular season in Hard Hit%, but were one of just five teams with a double-digit Barrel% at exactly 10%. The Brewers, meanwhile, ranked 25th in Hard Hit% and 29th in Barrel%.

The pitching staffs are both solid with the Brewers collective ERA of 3.59 (No. 2), but the Dodgers got healthier and better the final two months of the season with Snell and Ohtani pitching and a team ERA of 3.35 over that stretch. The Brewers overall defense is strong, finishing the regular season fifth in Outs Above Average at +29. The Dodgers were 11th at +11, and the Brewers outfield defense is better.  

The odds imply the Dodgers win this series 2 out of 3 times, and that's realistic. But Milwaukee won 14-straight games in August, and if they play to that level then this series is tighter. If you don't want to lay 2/1 odds and like Los Angeles, consider -1.5 games at -105 reduced juice and Los Angeles to win in 6-games or less. But the Brewers as 'Dog each game and live betting options against the Dodgers bullpen may prove profitable. 

As I noted during my monthly MLB coverage and key games at Off Shore Gaming Association, the team with the best regular season record hasn't won the World Series since 2018 when the Red Sox won the championship trophy. The Brewers led the Majors with 97 wins and swinging big bats looking to end that streak and knock off the defending World Series champions LA Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. 

You can bet on it.

FairwayJay is a proven sports handicapper and recognized as one of the sports industry's insightful analysts. He chips in additional sports betting coverage and reporting on industry news and events. Follow FairwayJay here at OSGA.com and on X (Twitter) @FairwayJay for more sports betting insights.