MLB Baseball
2025-10-01 - Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : MLB Baseball Playoff Wild Card Game 2
Wednesday 1st October 2025 - Scheduled 9:08pm
2:08am (British Time)
Preview
If you asked a group of 100 Major League fans that if they were to pick one Wild Card Series that would follow the trends of the last three post-seasons and be concluded after Game 2, most would likely select this Series to be the one.
The 10-5 final scoreline may look a little respectable, but the Los Angeles Dodgers dominated Game 1 against the Cincinnati Reds. While the Dodgers are the 2024 World Series Champions and National League West Divisional Winners, the Cincinnati Reds almost backed their way into the post-season and most felt they would not have the depth to keep up with this strong looking Los Angeles team.
A lot is going to have to improve if the Reds are going to be able to push this into a Game 3 decider.
Zack Littell will get the ball for the Cincinnati Reds and he finished the regular season with a 2-0 record and 4.39 ERA in ten starts in this uniform having arrived in a mid-season trade.
He will be starting in the Playoffs for the first time, but Zack Littell has been a reliever in the post-season with the last of those outings being in 2023. However, Littell will be well aware of the challenges facing him against this Dodgers batting lineup that piled up the hits and Home Runs in Game 1 and who will be looking to get on top of the Reds early again.
This will be the first start Zack Littell will be making against the Los Angeles Dodgers having predominantly being a reliever when he spent a couple of years in the National League West.
The Dodgers will counter by handing the ball to Yoshinobu Yamamoto who finished the regular season with a 12-8 record and a 2.49 ERA, which is an improvement in wins and ERA compared with his rookie season in the Major League. The pitcher also has stated that his Playoff experiences from last season should stand him in very good stead as he prepares for the first start in the 2025 post-season.
After allowing five runs in his first ever Major League Playoff start, Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a 2-0 record and a 1.72 ERA from the next three outings as the Dodgers secured the World Series.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed just three runs in his last 34 regular season Innings thrown, while he gave up a single run in 7 Innings at the Cincinnati Reds in July.
Prediction
It is perhaps the most boring play, but the Los Angeles Dodgers showed there is a considerable gap between them and the Cincinnati Reds in this Wild Card Series by comfortably winning Game 1.
With a strong starter going to the mound, the Dodgers may not need to lean on the vulnerable bullpen in this one, at least not for too long.
Once again they could have a good lead when the pitching change is needed and Los Angeles should be able to move into the Divisional Round without needing a Game 3 on Thursday.
Not only are they expected to win, but the Dodgers could secure the Game 2 victory by at least two runs for a second night in a row against arguably the weakest team that entered the post-season.
The Pick :
Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 Cincinnati Reds
