The San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds square off in a key game in the National League wild card race when the two teams open a three-game series on Monday at Oracle Park in San Francisco. The Giants (67-63) and Reds (68-64) are tied for fourth in the wild card chase, 1.5 games behind the Diamondbacks for the third and final wild card berth. On Monday, San Francisco's Kyle Harrison is set to take the mound against Cincinnati's Andrew Abbott. San Francisco is a -132 favorite in the latest MLB odds, while Cincinnati is a +112 underdog. The over/under for runs scored is 8.5, and the game is one of 14 on the MLB schedule for Monday.
Elsewhere in the majors, the Brewers and Cubs collide in a battle between the top two teams in the NL Central, and the Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen looks to become just the second 15-game winner in the majors, against the Dodgers. Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It went 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks (+357) over the past two seasons. It entered Week 23 of the 2023 MLB season 71-55 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 14-4 (+640). Anybody following the model has seen big returns.
For Monday, the model has locked in three confident MLB best bets for games that begin at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of more than 16-1. You can see the model's MLB picks only at SportsLine.
Top MLB picks today
The model, which ran 10,000 simulations on each of the 14 games on Monday, is taking St. Louis (+171) to knock off San Diego. One of the favorites to win the NL at the beginning of the season, the Padres are well outside of a wild card spot and fading fast. They've lost 14 of their last 20 games and are coming off being swept by the Brewers in three games in Milwaukee.
Pitching has been an issue for San Diego down the stretch. During the month of August, the Padres rank 19th in all of baseball in both ERA (4.74) and WHIP (1.38). Even ace Blake Snell, who is set to start on Monday, has been vulnerable, with a 3.91 ERA in his last four starts. See the model's top MLB picks here.
How to make Monday MLB parlays
The model also locked in two other best bets for Monday, including a play on an even bigger underdog, which would pay plus-money. You can see the model's MLB Monday best bets and parlay only at SportsLine.
What MLB picks should you target for a payout of more than 16-1, and which big underdog should you be all over on Monday? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets from an advanced model that is 71-55 on all top-rated MLB picks this season, and find out.
