The Reds became one of the best stories in baseball when they qualified for the postseason by tracking down the Mets in September.

Cincinnati only finished four games above .500, but a 7-3 stretch to finish the campaign was enough to get Terry Francona’s side back into October for the first time since 2020.

It’s been 30 years since the Reds won a postseason series, and the oddsmakers don’t like their chances of getting off the schneid this fall.

Cincinnati is a +220 underdog at FanDuel Sportsbook to beat the Dodgers in the best-of-three wild-card round, and the Reds have +172 odds to win Game 1.

Hunter Greene will get the nod for the Reds, looking to build on an impressive second half after returning from injury.

A hard-throwing righty, Greene will be taking on a lineup that finished third in wOBA (.332) and slugging (.439) against right-handed pitching this season.

It’s not an ideal matchup for Greene, who posted strong numbers down the stretch, especially since the Dodgers didn’t strike out a ton against righties in 2025.

Los Angeles ranked 12th in the majors when it came to strikeout rate against right-handed hurlers.

It’s also feasible to expect Greene, who relies on power and velocity, to have some command issues in the early going.

This will be his playoff debut, and it’s not out of the question that the added adrenaline of October baseball plays a role in some shaky control.

The Dodgers are a patient bunch, and finished the season ranked second in the MLB in walk rate against righties.

The Reds may seem like a tempting underdog because of the momentum and good vibes from an unexpected run to the postseason, but the stylistic matchup for Game 1 heavily favors the Dodgers.

The Play: Dodgers -1.5 (+108, FanDuel)

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.