Cardinals vs. Nationals Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for Monday, April 6

The St. Louis Cardinals are 5-4 through their first nine games of the 2026 MLB season, and they have a chance to build on that as road favorites on Monday night.

Oddsmakers have the Cardinals as -118 favorites against the Washington Nationals (3-6), who have the worst team ERA (6.27) in baseball through two weeks.

Zack Littell (5.40 ERA) is on the mound for the Nats for the second time this season against St. Louis righty Andre Pallante (0.00 ERA). Pallante tossed five innings of three-hit ball in a win over the New York Mets in his 2026 debut.

The Cardinals and Nationals both missed the playoffs and finished the season under .500. Oddsmakers have them both set with the longest odds to win their respective divisions, though the Cardinals may not be completely out of things in the NL Central even though their +3500 odds suggest they’re a massive long shot.

Let’s take a look at the betting odds, my favorite prop bet and a prediction for Monday’s action.

Cardinals vs. Nationals Odds, Run Line and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Run Line

Cardinals -1.5 (+141)
Nationals +1.5 (-171)

Moneyline

Cardinals: -118
Nationals: -102

Total

8 (Over -110/Under -110)

Cardinals vs. Nationals Probable Pitchers

St. Louis: Andre Pallante (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Washington: Zack Littell (0-1, 5.40 ERA)

Cardinals vs. Nationals How to Watch

Monday, April 6
Time: 6:45 p.m. EST
Venue: Nationals Park
How to Watch (TV): Cardinals.TV/Nationals.TV
Cardinals record: 5-4
Nationals record: 3-6

Cardinals vs. Nationals Best MLB Prop Bet

Nationals Best MLB Prop Bet

James Wood to Hit a Home Run (+546)

Earlier today, I shared in SI Betting’s best home run picks – Daily Dinger – why I like James Wood in this matchup:

Washington Nationals youngster James Wood has homered twice already this season, and he’s coming off a 31-homer campaign in the 2025 season.

On Monday, Wood takes on the St. Louis Cardinals and righty Andre Pallante, who allowed 21 home runs in 31 appearances in the 2025 season. Pallante did not give up a long ball in his first start of this season, but he’s certainly gettable after posting a 5.31 ERA in 2025.

Wood isn’t hitting for average yet this season, but he’s displayed some nice power, ranking in the 88th percentile in barrel percentage and the 74th percentile in hard-hit percentage in 2026.

At over 5/1, Wood is worth a look, especially since the pitchers behind Pallante may not be great. St. Louis had a 4.97 bullpen ERA so far in the 2026 campaign.

Cardinals vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

These teams rank 30th (Washington) and 26th (St. Louis) in team ERA this season, and neither starter in this matchup should be trusted as a top-tier arm.

Last season, Pallante had a 5.31 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP for the Cardinals while Littell had a 3.81 ERA and a 4.88 Fielding Independent Pitching in his time with the Tampa Bay Rays and Cincinnati Reds.

I also don’t trust the bullpens for these teams, as the Cards have a 4.97 bullpen ERA and Washington is in the bottom five in MLB with a 5.85 bullpen ERA.

Washington has put together a solid season on offense, ranking third in MLB in runs scored, helping it win a few games despite a shaky ERA. so, a high-scoring game is certainly possible on Monday night.

The OVER is 7-2 in the Nationals’ nine games and 4-4-1 in the Cardinals’ games so far this season.

Pick: OVER 8 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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