Game 2 of the NLCS will get underway tonight. Offense was limited on Monday, with the Dodgers eking out a 2-1 win. The Brewers will attempt to get back on track with their ace, Freddy Peralta, on the mound. It’ll be up to Los Angeles’ offense to generate some runs, led by superstar Shohei Ohtani.
Los Angeles is favored (-121) over Milwaukee, with the over/under set at 7.5 runs. Before the start of Tuesday’s postseason matchup, here’s my favorite Shohei Ohtani player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Shohei Ohtani over 1.5 total bases (+109)
The Dodgers have reeled off six wins over their first seven playoff games. That’s been in spite of their best player, not because of him. Ohtani is slashing .138/.286/.345 at the plate this October, with two home runs and five RBIs. Those statistics are surprising, not just because the slugger typically puts up video game numbers. His teammates have generated a National League-leading 4.71 runs per game this postseason.
As bad as things have been recently, it’s only a matter of time until Ohtani bounces back. After all, this is a soon-to-be four-time MVP. Still, a date with Peralta doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence. Over 176.2 innings this season, the All-Star has recorded a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 204 strikeouts. When the Dominican last faced the Dodgers at home, on July 7th, he tossed six scoreless innings.
Several Los Angeles hitters have been fairly ineffective against Milwaukee’s ace. The right-hander has found success against stars such as Mookie Betts (career .417 OPS) and Freddie Freeman (.709 OPS). Just two of the seven Dodgers with at least nine at-bats vs. Peralta have a batting average above .250: Ohtani (.333) and Will Smith (.308). In addition, Shohei clobbered two homers during those plate appearances.
It’s never easy to back a struggling hitter in the playoffs, even a future Hall of Famer. Still, Peralta looked shaky during his most recent appearance against the Cubs (4.0 IP, 3 ER). I’d expect a better performance from the veteran hurler on Tuesday, but it’s no guarantee. Ohtani is a generational talent; it’s difficult to imagine another lackluster showing when it matters most. One extra-base hit is all LA’s superstar needs to cash in at plus money.
