The Chicago Cubs look to continue their surge when they visit the struggling New York Mets for the opener of a three-game series on Monday (7:10 p.m. ET) at Citi Field. Chicago (58-54) has won five of its last six contests and 15 of 19 to climb into a wild-card spot in the National League. The Cubs also are just 1 ½ games behind first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central after taking two of three from major league-best Atlanta over the weekend. New York (50-61) returns home after an 0-6 road trip on which it was swept in Kansas City and Baltimore. On Monday, Chicago's Drew Smyly (8-7, 4.71 ERA) takes the mound opposite New York's Kodai Senga (7-6, 3.25). The Mets are -116 favorites (risk $116 to win $100) while the Cubs are -103 underdogs, per SportsLine consensus MLB odds. The over/under for total runs scored is 9.
The game is one of 11 on the MLB schedule for Monday evening. Elsewhere in the majors, the Cincinnati Reds (+114) attempt to halt their six-game losing streak when they host the Miami Marlins and the AL West-leading Texas Rangers seek their seventh consecutive victory when they visit the division-rival Oakland Athletics. Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to check out the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven simulation 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 20 of the 2023 MLB season 54-43 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 11-4 (+404). Anyone following it has seen big returns.
For Monday, the model has locked in three confident MLB best bets for games that begin at 6:40 p.m. ET or later. If you successfully parlay the picks, you'd be looking at a payout of over 6-1. You can see the model's top picks at SportsLine.
Top MLB picks today
After simulating every game on Monday 10,000 times, the model is picking the Reds (+114) to defeat the Marlins. Cincinnati is in the midst of a six-game losing streak, but Miami has been abysmal on the road of late. Since sweeping a three-game series at Boston in late June, the Marlins are 1-13 away from home and have been outscored by 42 runs during that stretch.
Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz is batting just .213 as the team's leadoff hitter since July 17 but enters Monday with a five-game hitting streak during which he has homered twice. The 21-year-old Dominican has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 contests, recording five blasts over that span. Cincinnati left-hander Brandon Williamson was tagged for five runs over 4 ⅓ innings at the Chicago Cubs in his last outing, but the rookie allowed fewer than three runs in each of his previous five turns -- including three at home. See who else to back at SportsLine.
How to make Monday MLB parlays
The model also locked in two other best bets for Monday. 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 over 6-1? Visit SportsLine now to see the MLB best bets from an advanced model that is on an 11-4 roll on top-rated run-line picks, and find out.
