As the MLB postseason moves into its next stage, it’s going to be difficult to top the drama from the Wild Card Series, which featured a trio of thrilling best-of-three series that were tight into the final innings of the decisive Game 3s. Our MLB experts have dusted off their crystal balls once again to see which teams will survive the best-of-five Division Series format. The votes are in, and in a few places, we have a pretty strong consensus as to which teams will win. Are we right? We’ll find out soon…Los Angeles Dodgers (3) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2)This is a dream matchup, unfortunately coming one round before the classic best-of-seven format that would ensure maximum opportunities for Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, Mookie Betts, Bryce Harper and the other top players from these star-studded rosters to take center stage. So let’s enjoy these games while they last.

Staff predictions for LA vs. PHI TeamWinnerPhiladelphia Phillies73%Los Angeles Dodgers27%

Mitch Bannon (PHI): “These lineups both bang. The rotations hold similar upside. The only significant difference comes in the bullpens. The Phillies have Jhoan Duran, the Dodgers don’t.”David O’Brien (LA): “The Dodgers are on a roll after winning their final five regular-season games — and nine of their last 11 — and sweeping the Reds in the Wild Card Series. They’ll have Ohtani to start Game 1. The Phillies have a strong lineup, like the Dodgers do, and a solid rotation. But the rotation doesn’t have the injured Zack Wheeler, and that’s enough to give the Dodgers the edge, even with Philly having home-field advantage in the cauldron that is Citizens Bank Park.”Eno Sarris (PHI): “These teams look like they were built to tussle with each other. Similar strengths and weaknesses. The stars will determine the outcome.”Katie Woo (LA): “Philadelphia’s unorthodox approach of using three left-handed starters to open the series doesn’t mean much to me, considering those starters are Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Ranger Suárez. The Dodgers’ rotation still looks to be full strength, despite Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting in the Wild Card Series. The biggest issue for Los Angeles continues to be their bullpen. Can they figure out how to close out the back-end of games? They’d better hope so, because that Phillies lineup is dangerous. This is the must-watch series of the postseason for me. If there’s one team that can dethrone last year’s champions, it’s the Phillies.”Levi Weaver (PHI): “These are not the Reds. Schwarber led the National League in home runs. Trea Turner is the NL batting champ. Sánchez led all pitchers — all of ’em — in bWAR, at 8.0. And perhaps most importantly, the Phillies’ bullpen contains Duran. Whether or not Roki Sasaki is the answer for the LA bullpen, advantage Philly once the starters are out.”Andy McCullough (LA): “I believe these are the two best teams left in the postseason. Los Angeles gets the nod because of its starting pitching depth.”Sam Blum (PHI): “The Dodgers may have been the only team to sweep in the wild-card round, but of the four advancing clubs, I feel the least confident about them. Sure, they got Sasaki looking like a bona fide closer. But the rest of that bullpen is just too suspect to sustain a legitimate playoff series. Plus, the Phillies are the NL’s best team, maybe even the best in baseball.”Jon Greenberg (PHI): “It’s Schwarbs vs. Ohtani. The winner? Baseball.”Cubs-Brewers is a dream NL Central matchup between two squads that know each other extremely well. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)Chicago Cubs (4) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (1)The winner of this series gets NL Central bragging rights and a (probably not final) answer as to whether a team is better off with or without Craig Counsell as the manager. Should be a barnburner. And with a relatively short car ride between the home parks, the crowds should be rowdy and ready for a great series. Our experts are expecting a close series, as well, as this is the tightest vote split among the four Division Series.