Cardinals vs. Reds Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for Monday, Aug. 17 (Game 1)

There are a handful of MLB teams that have a day off today, but the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds are locked in for a doubleheader.

The Cardinals are still in the hunt for a wild card spot in the National League, but they need to string some wins together in a hurry to truly give themselves a shot.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for the first of two games in this NL Central showdown.

Cardinals vs. Reds Odds, Run Line, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run line

Cardinals -1.5 (+132)
Reds +1.5 (-160)

Moneyline

Cardinals -116
Reds +106

Total

OVER 9 (-115)
UNDER 9 (-105)

Cardinals vs. Reds Probable Pitchers

St. Louis: Quinn Matthews, LHP (0-1, 3.60 ERA)
Cincinnati: Kent Emanuel, LHP (0-0, N/A ERA)

Cardinals vs. Reds How to Watch

Date: Monday, August 17
Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Great American Ball Park
How to Watch (TV): Reds.TV, Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365
Cardinals record: 63-61
Reds record: 59-64

Cardinals vs. Reds Best MLB Prop Bet

Jordan Walker 2+ Hits (+180)

With Kent Emanuel making his 2026 MLB debut, let's bet on a batter who can hit lefties. The player I'm looking at is Jordan Walker, who has a .288 batting average and a 153 wRC+ when facing left-handed pitchers this season. I'll jump at the chance to bet on him at +180 to record two hits this afternoon.

Cardinals vs. Reds Prediction and Best Bet

This afternoon's game is a battle between two relatively unknown left-handed starters. Quinn Matthews will be making his second start at the Major League level, and Kent Emanuel, who was just picked up by the Reds, will be making his first MLB appearance since 2024.

That's why I'm going to bet the OVER in this divisional match. Both teams have been significantly better against left-handed pitchers this season. The Cardinals are 26th in wRC+ when facing righties, and the Reds are even worse, ranking dead last. They both rank in the top half of the Majors in that metric when facing lefties. The Reds rank 10th, and the Cardinals come in at 13th.

Two strong lefty lineups facing two unknown lefty arms is a recipe for a high-scoring affair.

Pick: OVER 9 (-115) via FanDuel

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