Dodgers vs. Brewers Game 4 predictions: Expert picks with champs on the verge of being swept

MLB's reigning back-to-back champs are on the ropes. The Dodgers are down 3-0 against the Brewers in the 2026 NLCS, staring at a potential sweep and their first playoff series loss since the 2023 NLDS. The Brewers, meanwhile, are one win away from just their second-ever appearance in the World Series -- and their first National League pennant. Milwaukee won the American League pennant in 1982 before losing in the Fall Classic.

The Brewers' 3-0 NLCS lead is no fluke. Milwaukee, baseball's best team in the regular season, has been better than L.A. in every area of this series. So can the Brewers close it out on Thursday night in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium? Or can the Dodgers rally and live to fight another day -- and to get the ball back to Tarik Skubal in Game 5?

Here's what our CBS Sports experts expect on Thursday.

Dodgers vs. Brewers: Game 4 predictions

Axisa: Dodgers 4, Brewers 3. Maybe this is a hope more than a prediction. As a baseball fan, I want the Dodgers to extend the series just so there's more baseball. The Dodgers so look old and broken, but that's really nothing new. They looked like this after getting beat down in Game 5 of the World Series last year, to fall behind in the series 3-2. I think the Dodgers will find a way to win Game 4 and extend the series, though it won't be a convincing win. They'll fight like crazy to scratch across just a few runs, then Edwin Díaz will leave the bases loaded in the ninth inning. Something like that.

Feldman: Brewers 3, Dodgers 1. I'm a firm believer in the mental aspect of the sport, maybe even too much so, but the Dodgers just look broken. This is not an offense on the verge of a breakout. Dave Roberts is managing like he's in a movie rather than trying to reach the World Series. And the Brewers are doing everything right. The NLCS ends Thursday.

Perry: Brewers 4, Dodgers 3. While the Brewers' pitching plan for Game 4 is a bit uncertain and bullpen-heavy and the Dodgers have the ace-ish Tyler Glasnow going, I think Milwaukee will close it out. The Dodgers' power has just been thoroughly lacking, and I'm not sure that changes. I'm not a big believer in momentum in a sport like baseball, but his situation -- a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven -- is perhaps an exception. Teams up 3-0 historically in MLB are 32-10 in Game 4, so I'll say the Brewers continue that trend.