The Washington Nationals host the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7, 2026. First pitch from Nationals Park is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on NATS.
The Cardinals are favored by -112 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Nationals are -105 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 7.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Cardinals vs Nationals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Cardinals vs Nationals Prediction
- Cardinals vs Nationals Pick: Cardinals ML
My Cardinals vs Nationals best bet is on the St. Louis moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Cardinals vs Nationals Odds
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -189 | 7.5 -110o / -110u | -105 |
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 +156 | 7.5 -110o / -110u | -112 |
- Cardinals vs Nationals spread: Cardinals -1.5 (+156), Nationals +1.5 (-189)
- Cardinals vs Nationals over/under: 7.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Cardinals vs Nationals moneyline: Cardinals -105, Nationals -112
Cardinals vs Nationals Projected Starting Pitchers
| LHP Matthew Liberatore (STL) | Stat | RHP Cade Cavalli (WSN) |
|---|---|---|
| 0-0 | W-L | 0-0 |
| -0.1 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.1 |
| 1.64/3.73 | ERA /xERA | 2.79/3.90 |
| 5.63/5.28 | FIP / xFIP | 3.69/5.12 |
| 1.18 | WHIP | 1.34 |
| 2.2% | K-BB% | 7.1% |
| 41.0% | GB% | 48.1% |
| 103 | Stuff+ | 101 |
| 99 | Location+ | 86 |
Cardinals vs Nationals Preview
We got to the Nationals' bullpen several times yesterday, but unfortunately, the Nationals got right back at the Cardinals' bullpen. It was an absolutely phenomenal game, where Jordan Walker looked like he's fully breaking out.
However, both of these bullpens are just terrible. The Cardinals' bullpen does project better, but both of them have expected metrics in the mid-to-high fives at this point. Expect a lot of late-game scoring changes here.
Both Cade Cavalli and Matthew Liberator are potentially underprojected. Both have fit projections in the fours, and both can pitch closer to that 3.75 ERA level.
There could be a lot of bullpen variants here late, but the Cardinals' bullpen does project better, and the defensive advantage is pretty stark, too.
Cardinals vs Nationals Picks
We're taking the Cardinals for the second straight day.
The advantage for the bullpen and the late-game pitching advantage I project for the Cardinals do get me closer to -110 on their money line. Anything minus closer to -115, anything -105 or better is fine.
Pick: Cardinals ML
