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Brewers vs Padres Predictions, Best Bets & Props to Target in Game 3

Chris Amberley

By Chris Amberley in MLB Baseball

Published:


Christian Yelich ribs a double vs the Padres in the NLDS.
Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) hits a double during the fifth inning of their National League Division Series game against the San Diego Padres Sunday, October 4, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
  • The Brewers and Padres meet in Game 3 of the NLDS tonight
  • Christian Yelich’s proven track record of success in October makes him a compelling prop target
  • See the Brewers vs Padres predictions, best bets and props to target in Game 3, below

The San Diego Padres (91-71) return home to Petco Park with their backs against the wall, trailing 2-0 in the NLDS against the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers (103-59). After dropping a pair of tightly contested one-run battles in Game 1 (3-2) and Game 2 (4-3) at American Family Field, the Padres look to stave off elimination in front of their home crowd. First pitch for this do-or-die Game 3 is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET (6:30 PM PT) tonight, broadcast live on FS1.

Despite Milwaukee pacing the majors with 103 regular-season victories, San Diego enters as a home favorite in the MLB odds behind Nick Pivetta. Milwaukee will counter with Dustin May, eager to punch their ticket to the NLCS.

I’m avoiding traditional moneyline and total markets for this matchup, focusing on MLB player props instead. Keep reading for my Brewers vs Padres predictions, best bets and props to target in Game 3, below.

Brewers vs Padres Player Prop Odds

PlayerHome RunsHitsTotal BasesRBIsStolen Bases
Jackson Chourio0.5 (O+426/U-456)0.5 (O-194/U+178)1.5 (O+133/U-138)0.5 (O+213/U-233)0.5 (O+614/U-733)
Fernando Tatis Jr.0.5 (O+525/U-567)0.5 (O-233/U+223)1.5 (O+117/U-122)0.5 (O+203/U-233)0.5 (O+456/U-488)
Manny Machado0.5 (O+488/U-525)0.5 (O-186/U+170)1.5 (O+150/U-156)0.5 (O+203/U-213)0.5 (O+1329/U—)
William Contreras0.5 (O+567/U-614)0.5 (O-170/U+163)1.5 (O+163/U-170)0.5 (O+203/U-213)0.5 (O+1900/U-3233)
Jackson Merrill0.5 (O+525/U-567)0.5 (O-178/U+163)1.5 (O+163/U-170)0.5 (O+213/U-233)0.5 (O+1150/U-1329)
Brice Turang0.5 (O+809/U-1011)0.5 (O-150/U+144)1.5 (O+186/U-194)0.5 (O+285/U-317)0.5 (O+669/U-733)
PitcherStrikeoutsTotal OutsWalksEarned RunsHits Allowed
Dustin May2.5 (O-127/U+122)8.5 (O-127/U+122)0.5 (O-233/U+163)1.5 (O+122/U-144)3.5 (O+156/U-178)
Nick Pivetta4.5 (O+144/U-150)11.5 (O-104/U+122)0.5 (O-300/U+223)1.5 (O+122/U-138)3.5 (O+150/U-186)

Prices sourced from Kalshi and converted from cents to American odds.

The clearest favorite among these hit markets is Fernando Tatis Jr. to record a hit at -233. For total bases, Tatis is priced at +117 to reach two or more, while the Kalshi home-run prices make Jackson Chourio the shortest-priced of the six listed at +426.

Kalshi prices May at -127 to record at least three strikeouts and Pivetta at +144 to reach five. The outs markets meanwhile, are set at 8.5 for May and 11.5 for Pivetta.

Brewers vs Padres Predictions

When diving into the prop markets for this clash of World Series odds contenders, I see several highly actionable angles driven by situational trends.

Pick: Dustin May Ov 2.5 Strikeouts (-127 / 56-cents via Kalshi)

Prediction Markets
Strikeouts Pick
Learn more about Prediction Markets
Kalshi
May Ov 2.5 Ks
56%

Even though the market projects a brief outing for the Milwaukee right-hander, the strikeout threshold of 2.5 is remarkably low. Dustin May is 6-0 versus a strikeout over/under of 2.5 in his last six games against San Diego, averaging an impressive 5.3 punchouts per game.

May has gone over 2.5 strikeouts in 4 of his last 6 road games (67%). Because he has consistently baffled this Padres lineup historically, needing just three punchouts to cash this ticket provides a substantial safety net. He has been lights-out against this roster, making this my absolute favorite pitching edge on the board. New users can claim the Kalshi promo code and get a bonus to use on tonight’s game.

Milwaukee vs San Diego Best Bets

Pick: Christian Yelich Ov 0.5 Total Bases (-141 via bet365)

When the lights shine brightest in October, Christian Yelich reliably rises to the occasion. The veteran designated hitter remains the engine of the Brewers offense, and his recent production offers an excellent floor for his total bases prop. Fading him right now is simply a mistake.

Yelich is 4-1 versus a total bases over/under of 0.5 in his last 5 games against San Diego. Furthermore, he is a flawless 4-0 versus a total bases over/under of 0.5 in his last 4 postseason games, averaging 2 total bases per contest.

Over his last six games overall, Yelich has eclipsed this mark five times (83% hit rate). Given his familiarity with San Diego’s pitching staff, banking on Yelich to record just a single base hit is one of the safest offensive investments available. Grab the bet365 bonus code to lock in this line.

MIL vs SD Props to Target

Pick: Jackson Merrill Ov 0.5 Hits (-190 / 56-cents via Kalshi)

Prediction Markets
O/U Hits Pick
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Kalshi
Merrill Ov 0.5 Hits
64%

The Padres Jackson Merrill has thrived inside the friendly confines of Petco Park. Merrill has gone over 0.5 hits in 8 of his last 8 home games (100%), generating a steady 1.8 knocks per game over that dominant stretch. He has also gone over 0.5 hits in 6 of his last 7 games overall (86%). Backing him to record at least one knock serves as an incredibly safe bet.

Chris Amberley
Chris Amberley

Sports Writer

As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.

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