MLB Baseball
2025-09-30 - Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : MLB Baseball Playoff Wild Card Game 1
Tuesday 30th September 2025 - Scheduled 9:08pm
2:08am (British Time)
Preview
Some will say that the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69) failed to live up to expectations during the 2025 regular season, but the 2024 World Series Champions are back in the post-season. That would have been the main aim for the team back in March and the Dodgers have finished with the Number 3 Seed, which means having to compete in the Wild Card Round.
They will be hosting the Cincinnati Reds (83-79) who lost half of their last six regular season games, but backed into the Playoff Bracket when the New York Mets were unable to finish with a stronger record. The tie-breaker had been secured by the Reds already and so they get the chance to play in the post-season, while the huge financial outlay is questioned by the New York Mets.
Described as a 'superteam', the Los Angeles Dodgers will know anything less than another World Series will be seen as a disappointment.
That does put a lot of pressure on the home team in this Wild Card Series and they will be looking to find the right players to come out of the bullpen and cover up some of the obvious issues the Dodgers relievers have had.
Opening Game 1 of the Wild Card is Blake Snell who finished the regular season with a 5-4 record and a 2.35 ERA in eleven starts made. The hope is that the veteran is going to be fresh for a big impact in the Playoffs and Blake Snell will give the Dodgers confidence having ended the regular season by allowing a single run in 19 Innings thrown.
Blake Snell will be facing the Cincinnati Reds for the first time in 2025, while this will be the first Playoff start in three years since being a member of the San Diego Padres.
The Reds will counter with Hunter Greene who had a 7-4 record and 2.76 ERA in his nineteen starts this season. Credit has to be given to the pitcher for backing up the strong 2024 showing for the Reds, although Hunter Greene is going to be pitching in the post-season for the first time and in a tough environment.
Hunter Greene is unbeaten in five starts in September and he has been consistent with a 2.64 ERA in those outings.
However, the last defeat suffered by Greene was in this ballpark at the end of August when he allowed three earned runs in 5 Innings thrown against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That start was part of a sweep that the Cincinnati Reds suffered here at the end of August, while they were also beaten in two of three games when hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this season.
Prediction
The oddsmakers are still going to have a lot of respect for the Los Angeles Dodgers who are second favourites behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the outright market to win the World Series.
There is no doubting the talent that the Dodgers have and they will hope that the Playoff experience will also give them the edge in this Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Blake Snell has been pitching well, while the Dodgers will feel they can get after Hunter Greene as they did when they faced this Cincinnati starter at the end of August.
The Dodgers have been far superior than the Cincinnati Reds over the course of the season and they can win this opener behind some big hits from the batting lineup to back up the pitching level expected from Blake Snell.
The Pick :
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 Cincinnati Reds
