The St. Louis Cardinals host the Washington Nationals on September 19, 2026. First pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on NATS.
The Nationals are favored by -122 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Cardinals are -100 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 8.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Nationals vs Cardinals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Nationals vs Cardinals Prediction
- Nationals vs Cardinals Pick: JJ Wetherholt Under 0.5 Hits
My Nationals vs Cardinals best bet is for JJ Wetherholt to finish the game without a hit. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page. Make sure to download the Action Network App for more picks and analysis!
Nationals vs Cardinals Odds
| Nationals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -191 | 8.5 -119o / -102u | -100 |
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 +164 | 8.5 -119o / -102u | -122 |
- Nationals vs Cardinals moneyline: Nationals -100, Cardinals -122
- Nationals vs Cardinals over/under: 8.5 (-119o / -102u)
- Nationals vs Cardinals spread: Nationals -1.5 (+164), Cardinals +1.5 (-191)
Nationals vs Cardinals Probable Pitchers
| Andrew Alvarez (LHP, WSH) | Stat | Michael McGreevy (RHP, STL) |
|---|---|---|
| 2-6 | W-L | 7-9 |
| 2.3 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.9 |
| 3.35 / 4.18 | ERA / xERA | 3.83 / 5.29 |
| 3.26 / 3.79 | FIP / xFIP | 4.18 / 4.23 |
| 12.2% | K-BB% | 10.2% |
| 49.6% | GB% | 43.8% |
| .286 | BABIP | .279 |
| 95 | Stuff+ | 81 |
| 99 | Location+ | 110 |
Nationals vs Cardinals MLB Betting Preview
Nationals vs Cardinals Pick, Betting Analysis
Cardinals' youngster JJ Wetherholt has put together a promising rookie campaign, excelling defensively and flashing elite instincts on the basepaths. However, like many young hitters down the stretch, his bat has cooled off significantly as league pitching staffs have adapted.
Holding a Batting Run Value in just the 44th percentile, Wetherholt's biggest area of concern is a chase rate that ranks among the highest in Major League Baseball. His whiff rate rises dramatically whenever he is forced to expand the zone against offspeed pitches and high-spin breaking balls.
That swing-and-miss profile plays directly into the pitch distribution of Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez. Alvarez relies heavily on a lethal curveball, featuring the pitch 31% of the time to generate chase out of the strike zone.
Opposing hitters have managed just a microscopic .165 batting average against Alvarez's curveball, while swinging through it at an elite 33% whiff rate.
Because Wetherholt routinely chases pitch offerings below the zone when falling behind in counts, Alvarez's pitch mix presents a nightmare matchup.
With Wetherholt struggling to make quality contact against breaking balls down and away, expectations dictate a quiet night at the plate for the Cardinals rookie.
Wetherholt's aggressive swing decisions and second-half cooling period align poorly against Alvarez's primary put-away pitch.
Back the Nationals starter to keep the young infielder off-balance and keep him hitless.
Action Network's PRO Projections give Wetherholt's under a 12.6% edge to hit.
Pick: JJ Wetherholt Under 0.5 Hits (+185)
