The top two teams in the National League will face off in the NLCS: The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers battle in a best-of-seven series to determine which team will advance to the World Series.
The Dodgers are searching for their third straight title, and fourth since 2020. Los Angeles made an in-season blockbuster trade to bring in pitcher Tarik Subal to help increase its chances. The Dodgers also have a potent offensive core of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernandez, but Milwaukee is on a mission.The Brewers won 103 games this season and their core has been dynamite in 2026, quite comparable to the Dodgers'. Jackson Chourio is a young star who has posted a .287 average with 21 home runs
and 58 RBIs. Jake Bauers led the team with 23 home runs and 76 RBIs. The power hitter posted a .270 batting average. Not to mention, they still have 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich, a vet who can still torch a team. The NLCS begins with Game 1 on Sunday, Oct. 11 (8 p.m. ET). Here's what USA TODAY's experts and others predict will happen in the series:
USA TODAY Sports predictions
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff's NLCS predictions:
Bob Nightengale: Brewers in 7
This is the year of the Brew Crew. They didn’t win 103 games by accident. They are armed and dangerous.
Andres Soto: Dodgers in 6
Despite getting rid of key contributors from last year's squad like Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin, the Brewers got even better. Jackson Chourio and Jacob Misiorowski took big leaps forward. Jake Bauers had the best season of his career at 31 years old. Logan Henderson is a solid No. 2 starter. Trevor McGill and Abner Uribe are dominant in the back end of the bullpen.
This will not be a sweep again; Milwaukee has a strong case to upset the Dodgers, even. But LA has the experience, the poise, and the depth in both the rotation and lineup to win its third straight NL pennant.
James Williams: Dodgers in 6
The Dodgers have a strong pitching rotation working in their favor, with Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto leading the way for the first two games of the series.
The Dodgers have won the last two World Series and have postseason experience as an advantage, but the Brewers are better than they were a year ago and will continue to be a threat to L.A.
Marcus D. Smith: Dodgers in 7
The Dodgers somehow manage to deliver magic when you think their backs are against the wall − and they will be against the Brewers. The Dodgers have too many game-changers on offense and defense to count them out. It'll go the distance, but LA is on a quest to three-peat.
What are other experts saying?
Here's what other experts are saying about the NLCS rematch between the Dodgers and Brewers:
Sports Illustrated: Dodgers
The majority of Sports Illustrated's staff are siding with the Dodgers. Here's their breakdown.
- Noah Camras: Dodgers in 6
- Jason Fray: Dodgers in 6
- Ricardo Sandoval: Dodgers in 6
- J.P. Hoornstra: Brewers in 7
CBS Sports: Dodgers
CBS Sports staffers also went with the Dodgers but it wasn't a clean sweep. Here's their breakdown.
- Mike Axisa: Dodgers
- Kate Feldman: Dodgers
- Julian McWilliams: Dodgers
- Dayn Perry: Brewers
- Matt Snyder: Brewers
ESPN: Brewers
The ESPN staff mostly picked the Brewers to go to the World Series.
- Buster Olney: Brewers
- Jeff Passan: Brewers
- David Schoenfield: Brewers
- Bradford Doolittle: Brewers
- Sean Coyle: Dodgers
- Jorge Castillo: Dodgers
Dodgers vs Brewers NLCS Schedule
- Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX
- Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET on FOX
- Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
- Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1
- Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (if necessary)
- Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (if necessary)
- Game 7: Monday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on FOX (if necessary)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who wins Dodgers vs. Brewers series? NLCS predictions from experts
