The Atlanta Braves take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Our MLB odds series has our Braves Dodgers prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Braves Dodgers.

The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are the two foremost favorites to make the National League Championship Series. They have been the best regular-season teams in the National League the past few years. However, they haven't met in the NLCS since 2021. In 2022, the Phillies and Padres advanced to the battle for the National League pennant. In 2023, it was a Phillies-Diamondbacks duel. These teams have displayed regular-season brilliance and October weakness. They know that the regular season is just a stepping stone to bigger things, which keeps the meaning of this weekend series in perspective. Yet, while it's only May and there are bigger battles later on this season, these teams still want to measure themselves against each other and would love to establish the upper hand.

In the first game of this series on Friday, the Dodgers narrowly prevailed. Los Angeles took a 2-1 lead to the eighth inning, when Ronald Acuna hit a game-tying homer. The contest went into extras, with both teams scoring the Manfred Man ghost runner in the 10th inning. The Dodgers were able to prevent the Braves from scoring in the top of the 11th and then won in the bottom half on a single from Andy Pages. Both Atlanta and L.A. have struggled to hit with runners in scoring position this season. Friday was not an offensive explosion, so we'll see if the pitching staffs can continue to be one step ahead of the hitters in this high-profile series.

Here are the Braves-Dodgers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Braves-Dodgers Odds

Atlanta Braves: +1.5 (+100)

Los Angeles Dodgers: -1.5 (-120)

Over: 9 (-115)

Under: 9 (-105)

How To Watch Braves vs. Dodgers

TV: Bally Sports South (Braves) / SportsNet LA (Dodgers) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 9:10 p.m. ET/6:10 p.m. PT

*Watch Braves-Dodgers LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread

The Braves have not been hitting well in recent weeks, and Matt Olson is hitting under .200, a stunning plot development in the first five weeks of the season. Surely at some point the Braves will begin to really hit well on a consistent basis. This was the best, deepest, and most balanced batting order in baseball last year. Atlanta will come alive soon. It's really hard to bet against this team even when the machine isn't roaring with total efficiency, because you know the Braves are capable of slapping eight runs on the board anytime they play a game.

Why The Dodgers Could Cover The Spread

The Dodgers have staff ace Tyler Glasnow on the mound. The Braves are struggling at the plate, so Glasnow is in great position to keep them down and smother them. With Matt Olson hitting under .200, Glasnow can keep the Atlanta slugger in a bad place. Until Atlanta does in fact bust loose, bettors should display caution with the Braves, who have lost three of four games on a West Coast road trip and are playing below their expected standard.

Final Braves-Dodgers Prediction & Pick

The pitching matchup would tell you to bet on the Dodgers, but the Braves are too good to bet against with any confidence. Stay away from this one.

Final Braves-Dodgers Prediction & Pick: Dodgers -1.5