The Los Angeles Dodgers were not going to let the San Francisco Giants get away with a 2-0 lead in this National League Division League Series, as they responded to their loss in Game 1 with a dominant victory in Game 2. The series now shifts to Hollywood, where the Dodgers will look to go back-to-back. Will the Dodgers get their first taste of the series lead? Or, will the Giants reclaim the driver’s seat? With that said, it’s now time to read our Giants-Dodgers prediction and preview.

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the lines for this Giants vs. Dodgers NLDS Game 3 matchup.

MLB Odds: Giants-Dodgers Odds

San Francisco Giants +1.5 (-125)

Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (+105)

Over 7.0 runs (-120)

Under 7.0 runs (+100)

Why the Giants Could Cover

A very familiar face for the Dodgers will start for the Giants in Game 3 and that’s Alex Wood, who played for Los Angeles before coming over to San Francisco. That’s not just a fun side note, though. Wood’s familiarity with the postseason atmosphere at his old stomping grounds could be a factor in Game 3. Wood has appeared a total of 52 times (40 starts) at Dodger Stadium in his career and during that span, he’s accumulated a 17-9 record, a 3.05 ERA, and 1.105 WHIP.

Wood is also coming into Game 3 riding a wave of momentum. He was not able to post a win in three mound appearances back in September, but gave up just two earned runs on nine hits and struck out 17 hitters, while not issuing a single walk across 13.0 innings. On offense, the Giants will be facing one of this generation’s best in Max Scherzer, but they could be catching Mad Max at the best time. Scherzer hasn’t been at his top form of late. In fact, Scherzer surrendered 10 earned runs on 17 hits in his last two regular-season starts and looked human in the Wild Card game against the St. Louis Cardinals wherein he racked up 94 pitches in just 4 ⅓ innings. 

Why the Dodgers Could Cover

Granted that Scherzer hasn’t been as dominant of late, hes’ still someone the Dodgers can easily trust to deliver the goods. Scherzer went 15-4 with a 2.46 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. Since he became a Dodger, Scherzer managed to put together an 11-7 record and a 1.98 ERA plus a 0.82 WHIP in 11 starts. Unlike in his previous stints with other teams, the Dodgers have a high potential every time to give Scherzer robust run support. As a Dodger, Scherzer got an average of 6.59 runs behind him per nine innings pitched.

Excluding Scherzer’s numbers RS/9 numbers with the Washington Nationals, that run support is the highest among the top seven qualified pitchers with the best ERAs. After getting blanked in Game 1, the Dodgers’ bats woke up in Game 2. Even Cody Bellinger, who’s been historically bad against the Giants this season, managed to make a huge impact with his bat, as his two-run double in the top of the sixth signaled the beginning of the end for San Francisco in that contest. 

Final Giants-Dodgers Prediction & Pick

The Dodgers are understandably the favorite, but again, Scherzer hasn’t looked right of late. The Giants’ opportunistic bats could certainly pounce on any signs of weakness on the part of Scherzer. For my Dodgers-Giants prediction, just take San Francisco’s run line.

FINAL PICK: San Francisco Giants +1.5 (-125)