Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves
NL Division Series Game 3
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
6:00 PM ET, Truist Park
Game 3 of the NLDS is essentially a pick ’em with the Dodgers at -108 and Braves at -109. The total is 6. My play is the Under 6.
This is a rematch of one of the best pitchers’ duels of the season. Chris Sale and Yoshinobu Yamamoto faced each other on August 27, and Sale threw an 11-strikeout complete-game shutout in a 1-0 Braves win. Yamamoto was nearly as good, allowing just one run over 6⅓ innings, and the only run of the game came on a Drake Baldwin leadoff homer. Both aces are back on the mound with the series tied 1-1.
Sale is pitching at a high level. The 2024 NL Cy Young winner went 14-9 with a 2.16 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 162⅔ innings this season, and he posted a 1.96 ERA over his final 24 regular-season starts. He’s had time to recover since his relief appearance in the Wild Card clincher, and he gets the ball at home against a lineup he shut out in August.
Yamamoto is right there with him. He went 14-9 with a 2.53 ERA, and his 0.87 WHIP ranked second among qualified starters. That’s a pitcher who rarely lets runners on base, and the August game showed he can hold this Braves lineup in check.
The first two games of the series have stayed low. The Dodgers won Game 1 5-3 behind Tarik Skubal, who retired 15 straight Braves hitters. Game 2 was a 3-2 Braves win in which Atlanta chased Blake Snell after 3⅔ innings, then rode six relievers, including three perfect innings from Didier Fuentes, to even the series. Both bullpens worked hard on Sunday, but Monday’s off day gives them a chance to reset before handing the ball to two aces.
The risk to the Under is a couple of hot bats. Michael Harris II is 8-for-20 this postseason and drove in both of Atlanta’s Game 2 runs, while Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy both homered on Sunday. One swing can push a total this low over. But with Sale and Yamamoto each capable of working six or seven innings, there aren’t many opportunities left for either offense, and the last time these two met, one run decided it.
Realistic outcomes: Braves 3, Dodgers 2 (5 total); Dodgers 3, Braves 2 (5 total); Braves 2, Dodgers 1 (3 total); or Braves 4, Dodgers 3 (7 total, over). Three of four scenarios stay under 6.
The Pick: Dodgers/Braves Game 3 Under 6
Back the Under in an ace-versus-ace rematch in Atlanta, and bring a bigger bankroll into the MLB playoffs. New players at MyBookie Sportsbook get a 100% REAL CASH bonus on a first deposit of $100 to $300 with promo code PREDICT100. That’s a FREE way to bet the Dodgers/Braves Under 6 and the rest of your MLB playoff picks.
