The Braves have nothing to lose and everything to gain against the Dodgers.
As they say, you have to beat the best to be the best.
The Dodgers are indeed the best in the National League by almost every statistical measure. They had the best run differential. They led baseball in position player WAR. They have guys on their bench who would start for most other teams. Their pitching staff is on a serious roll, posting a 3.13 ERA in September, the best mark of anyone outside of Houston. They’re experienced and led by veterans. They were one game away from winning the World Series a year ago, and most of that team (plus more) is back in 2018.