At the onset of the National League Playoffs, a mix of established powerhouses, such as the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, and quality upstart teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, and Chicago Cubs, is evident.
The Brewers have arguably the best front office and management in baseball. Milwaukee has suffered considerable personnel losses over the past two years. Yet, it remains undeterred and has improved to make the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years, including the past three seasons.
Of course, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made the playoffs every season since 2013 and boast the biggest payroll in baseball.
The Philadelphia Phillies are in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, but have not won the pennant since they were an upstart in 2022.
2025 National League Playoff Odds Preview
The National League playoffs begin with the Wild Card Series, starting on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, and running through Thursday, October 2, 2025. The National League Divisional Playoffs and National League Championship Series will follow.
Odds to Win the 2025 National League Pennant
- Philadelphia Phillies +225
- Los Angeles Dodgers +275
- Milwaukee Brewers +350
- Chicago Cubs +700
- San Diego Padres +750
- Cincinnati Reds +1400
- The Brewers and Phillies earned byes from the Wild Card round.
- In the wild card round, the San Diego Padres will face the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds will meet the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers are the most popular team on the board in the National League.
- Because the Dodgers draw so much square money, they are consistently overpriced.
- Remarkably, Los Angeles was one of the worst performers on the board in 2025.
- The Philadelphia Phillies have gained considerable respect with the public as a playoff regular.
- The Milwaukee Brewers had the best record in baseball, but the MLB betting public remains skeptical about this low-payroll team that lacks star power.
2025 National League Playoff Odds Predictions
- Keep in mind that the MLB Playoffs have become as unpredictable as the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Seedings and regular season records don’t mean much in the playoffs.
- The National League is a great example of the parity in Major League Baseball.
- Since 2019, the National League has had five different franchises win the pennant.
- Since 2013, there have been nine different teams that have won the NL championship.
- Late on, only the Dodgers have been dominant, winning three pennants since 2017.
- The Milwaukee Brewers were one of the best and most profitable teams in the National League, a quality team that the casual sector often overlooked.
- The Philadelphia Phillies have become a popular public brand based on their success over the past several years.
- The Chicago Cubs may offer potentially good value as a wild card team expected to have won the NL Central.
- Chicago impressively improved as the season progressed.
- Cincinnati clinched its playoff spot on the final day of the season after a furious rally to beat out the New York Mets.
- The Phillies have the lineup power and postseason experience to win the pennant.
2025 National League Pennant Best Bet: Philadelphia Phillies
2025 National League Playoff Odds Betting Tips
- The San Diego Padres have the top-ranked bullpen earned run average.
- The Milwaukee Brewers rank 6th for bullpen ERA.
- The Brewers have tremendous balance, ranking 3rd for run production and 2nd for ERA.
- Cincinnati boasts the 4th-ranked ERA for starting pitching.
- The Dodgers' bullpen ranks 21st for ERA.
- The Phillies rank 20th for bullpen ERA.
- The Phillies rank 8th for run production and 8th for ERA.
- Philadelphia has the best ERA for starting pitchers.
- The Dodgers rank 2nd for run production but 17th for ERA.
- The Padres rank 18th for run production and 28th for home runs.
- San Diego ranks 3rd for earned run average.
2025 National League Playoff Odds, Head-to-Head, and Key Stats
Milwaukee was the most profitable team in MLB betting, with a +2029 moneyline units profit.
San Diego was +852 moneyline units and +1048 run line units.
The Padres were 69-87 under the total.
Cincinnati was +594 moneyline units and 59-93 under the total.
Philadelphia was +379 moneyline units and +920 units on the run line.
Despite a 93-69 record, Los Angeles was -954 units on the moneyline and -2100 on the run line.