Dodgers vs. Braves NLDS Game 3: What Prediction Markets Say About Sale vs. Yamamoto Rematch

The NLDS is tied at a game apiece, and Game 3 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves on Monday night at Truist Park is shaping up as one of the most even matchups of the postseason. Prediction markets agree: this one is basically a coin flip, with the Braves holding the slightest of edges at tip-off.

What the Betting Markets Are Saying

Public prediction markets have this game split almost exactly down the middle, with Atlanta sitting at 50.50% to win versus 49.50% for Los Angeles on the moneyline. Volume has been heavy on both sides — roughly $97,785 wagered on the Dodgers and $104,875 on the Braves in the last 24 hours alone, with more than $560,000 in total liquidity tied to the outcome. That kind of balance tells you everything about how bettors view this series right now: nobody has a clear read on who wins Game 3, let alone the series.

It makes sense given how the first two games went. The Dodgers took Game 1 behind a strong start, while the Braves answered in Game 2 after their bullpen shut the door late. Both teams have leaned heavily on relief arms through two games — six relievers apiece — which puts even more weight on what happens with the Game 3 starters.

Sale vs. Yamamoto, Round Two

This game is built around a pitching rematch that already has history. Braves lefty Chris Sale, who posted a 2.16 ERA this season — third-best in all of MLB — faces Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the reigning World Series MVP making his 2026 postseason debut. The last time these two met, on August 27, Sale outdueled Yamamoto in a 1-0 Atlanta win, with Yamamoto allowing just one run over 6⅔ strong innings in a losing effort. Sale was nearly untouchable that day, scattering five hits across a complete shutout of the Dodgers lineup.

Sale has carried that form into October, posting a 1.96 ERA over his final 24 regular-season starts and opening the playoffs with three runs allowed over 6⅔ innings against Philadelphia in the Wild Card round. He was also used to close out that series, recording the final four outs — a workload note that pushed his NLDS turn back to Game 3 rather than Game 2.

Yamamoto brings his own strong numbers into the rematch, with a 0.87 WHIP this season that ranked second among all qualified MLB starters. His road splits are especially notable here — a 1.77 ERA away from Dodger Stadium compared to 3.13 at home — which lines up well with a start in Atlanta. The Dodgers held him out of Game 1 specifically to set up this exact matchup, a sign of how much importance the organization places on this pitching duel.

The Hitters Who Could Decide It

Atlanta’s lineup has seen mostly left-handed starting pitching so far this postseason — four of their first five playoff games — which makes Yamamoto’s right-handed look a potential advantage for Atlanta’s right-handed bats. Drake Baldwin’s leadoff homer was the only run the Braves managed off Yamamoto back in August, and he’ll be a name to watch again, alongside Matt Olson and Michael Harris II, who has posted a .908 OPS through his first 17 postseason plate appearances. Ozzie Albies has been Atlanta’s hottest hitter of October, going 4-for-12 with two home runs and a triple through four playoff games. Leadoff man Ronald Acuña Jr., by contrast, has struggled to get going, managing just two hits in 13 at-bats through the Wild Card Series.

On the Dodgers’ side, the projected lineup features Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Kyle Tucker, and Andy Pages — with Hernández and Tucker both having gone deep in the Game 1 win. Ohtani is managing lingering right biceps and left knee issues and has had a quiet series at the plate so far, while Freeman continues to play through right knee discomfort that has limited his power output since July.

Bullpen Availability Could Swing Things Late

Both bullpens are banged up in different ways after a taxing Game 2. Atlanta’s Didier Fuentes and Ray Kerr are unavailable after throwing more than 40 pitches combined in that game, but closer Raisel Iglesias and setup men Robert Suarez and Dylan Lee are rested and ready after an off-day. The Braves are also still without right-hander Bryce Elder (recovering from knee surgery) and lefty Martín Pérez (lower back discomfort) for this series, though both could return if Atlanta advances.

For the Dodgers, reliever options are thinner than usual. Will Klein hasn’t appeared in a game since July 31 and is viewed as a depth-only arm, while Blake Treinen is considered unlikely to pitch again this postseason due to shoulder inflammation. One wrinkle worth watching: Roki Sasaki threw two innings and 36 pitches on Sunday and could be stretched into a short relief role if this game tightens up late. Live MLB odds continue to shift as lineups and bullpen usage firm up closer to first pitch.

Prediction Markets Lean Slightly Braves — Here’s Why

With the series knotted up and both teams sending out front-line starters who’ve already faced off once this season, Game 3 reads as a true toss-up — which is exactly how prediction markets have it priced. The slight edge toward Atlanta likely comes down to two things: Sale’s track record against this exact Dodgers lineup and the fact that Atlanta’s right-handed-heavy bats may finally catch a break seeing a righty after a steady diet of lefties this October.

Still, Yamamoto’s superior road splits and the Dodgers’ deeper everyday lineup make this close enough that either team walking away with a 2-1 series lead wouldn’t surprise anyone. If the public markets are right that the Braves hold a razor-thin edge, expect it to come down to which bullpen blinks first in the later innings — and with Atlanta’s top relievers rested while two of the Dodgers’ depth options are compromised, that’s a real factor for bettors shopping DraftKings promo code offers ahead of first pitch to weigh.