Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Wild Card Series Preview and Prediction
The 2025 NL Wild Card series pits one of baseball’s biggest brands against one of its hungriest upstarts. The Dodgers enter as heavy favourites, armed with star power, depth, and a regular-season track record that dwarfs Cincinnati’s.
The Reds, meanwhile, snuck into October, despite losing game No. 162, with a promising young rotation but a lineup that hasn’t quite caught up. It’s David vs. Goliath, and oddsmakers are signalling this could be over quickly.
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Reds vs. Dodgers MLB Wild Card Series Odds and Betting Trends
Los Angeles controlled the season series, winning five of six and outscoring the Reds 30–15. Bettors have noticed: the Dodgers are widely expected to advance, with the Dodgers 2–0 correct score priced at +135, one of the most popular plays on the board.
Despite some bullpen concerns, the Dodgers’ offensive edge is massive, ranking first in NL OPS (.768) compared to Cincinnati’s .706. The line movement suggests the market sees little chance of a three-game set. If you want to invest in LA in a market that lasts the entire postseason, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has the shortest odds to lead the postseason in strikeouts (+750), and his teammate, Blake Snell, isn’t far behind at +900.
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati’s run to October deserves credit. They edged out tougher-on-paper clubs for the final Wild Card spot and leaned on a young, exciting rotation with flamethrower Hunter Greene, craft lefties Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott, plus veterans Nick Martinez and Brady Singer. Still, their offence remains a liability: 23rd in OPS on the road, 24th since the All-Star break, and 25th against left-handed pitching.
That doesn’t bode well against the Dodgers’ staff, which can deploy Snell and Yamamoto back-to-back. The Reds’ young pitchers give them a fighting chance, but their bats are a tier below the rest of the playoff field.
Los Angeles Dodgers
For the Dodgers, expectations are simple and the same as always: World Series or bust. They breezed through the Reds in the regular season and have a lineup that produced more than 100 extra runs compared to Cincinnati. The real X-factor is Shohei Ohtani, making his first two-way playoff appearance after another 50-homer campaign. Add in Snell (2.25 ERA in September) and Yamamoto (sub-2.50 ERA, 10+ K/9), and Los Angeles looks as complete as ever.
The only lingering question is the bullpen, which has been shaky in closing out games, though Cincinnati may not have the firepower to expose it. It’s Clayton Kershaw’s final postseason, and though the Dodgers may not repeat as champs, they are not going down in the Wild Card series at home either.
MLB Prediction: Who Will Win Reds vs. Dodgers?
The Reds may hang tough for a few innings each game, but over a short series, their offence isn’t built to match Los Angeles. With Snell and Yamamoto lined up, Ohtani anchoring the offence, home-field advantage, and shifting rotation arms to a new-look October bullpen, the Dodgers have every edge. Expect a professional, efficient series from L.A. The pick: Dodgers 2–0 over the Reds (+135).
