The Brewers have won 11 straight games. They would be 26-4 in their last 30 games if plus 1 1/2 runs.

Yet they are mid-sized home underdogs because the starting pitching matchup is Clayton Kershaw versus Gio Gonzalez and there's a perception the Brewers aren't in the Dodgers class. They are. The Brewers finished four games better than the Dodgers this season.

Kershaw isn't the monster in the playoffs he is during the regular season with a postseason career ERA above 4.00. It's a large sampling, too - 130 innings.

Gonzalez is in excellent form and has a strong history versus the Dodgers. He's 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 0.87 WHIP during his last three starts spanning 15 innings. Lifetime against the Dodgers, Gonzalez is 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 38 innings.

The Brewers have the superior bullpen. So Gonzalez probably won't be asked to go more than five innings. He can go all out in those innings.

The oddsmaker is anticipating a 4-3 type of game with this low total. So getting 1 1/2 runs should loom huge.