Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction for Monday September 7 2026

The Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers begin their season series Monday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. First pitch is scheduled for 9:10 PM ET on September 7 with MLB.TV providing coverage. Cincinnati enters the matchup at 68-74 overall and 33-36 on the road, while Los Angeles is 85-57 overall and 43-28 at home. The Reds sit fifth in the NL Central, 19.5 games behind Milwaukee, while the Dodgers lead the NL West by 10.5 games over Arizona. Cincinnati has won three of its last five completed games, but Los Angeles enters on a three-game winning streak after taking its last three. ESPN Analytics gives the Dodgers a 62.0% chance of winning compared with 38.0% for Cincinnati. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Before placing your Monday wagers, check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions and betting analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Cincinnati is scheduled to start Chase Burns, who enters Monday at 15-3 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP through 145.1 innings. Burns has allowed 118 hits and 50 walks while striking out 171 and surrendering 15 home runs. Los Angeles has not announced its starter for the series opener. The Reds therefore enter with the clearer starting-pitching picture, and Burns' combination of a 2.79 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 171 strikeouts gives Cincinnati an important advantage at the beginning of the game despite Los Angeles holding significant team-level advantages elsewhere.

Cincinnati Brings a Strong Starter to Los Angeles

Cincinnati enters Monday at 68-74 overall and 33-36 away from home. The Reds have won three of their last five completed games, including a 5-3 victory over Milwaukee in their most recent contest. Cincinnati also recorded consecutive victories of 7-3 and 4-3 against San Diego during that stretch. The losses were 10-7 against Milwaukee and 5-0 against San Diego, giving the Reds a somewhat inconsistent recent offensive profile despite their winning stretch.

The Reds are batting .229 with 1,084 hits, 593 runs and 191 home runs while posting a .308 on-base percentage and .398 slugging percentage. The power production stands out, with Cincinnati holding an 18-home-run advantage over Los Angeles despite trailing the Dodgers significantly in batting average, hits, runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Cincinnati has shown it can change a game with power, but its .229 team batting average creates a difficult matchup against a Los Angeles staff that has limited opponents to a .220 average.

Cincinnati's larger season-long concern is pitching beyond its announced starter. The Reds have a 4.66 team ERA and 1.43 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .252. They have issued 576 walks and recorded 1,154 strikeouts. Those numbers are considerably weaker than the Dodgers' pitching profile, making the performance of Cincinnati's starter especially important if the Reds are going to stay competitive throughout Monday night's opener.

Los Angeles Owns the Stronger Overall Profile

Los Angeles enters at 85-57 overall and has been especially effective at Dodger Stadium, where it owns a 43-28 record. The Dodgers have won three consecutive games, defeating Washington 6-5 and 5-3 after beating St. Louis 3-2. Los Angeles is 3-2 over its last five completed games, with its two losses coming by scores of 8-6 in 10 innings and 13-8. The Dodgers have therefore stabilized over their last three after allowing 21 combined runs in the previous two contests.

The Dodgers have the substantial offensive advantage across most of the supplied team statistics. Los Angeles is batting .256 with 1,227 hits, 698 runs and 173 home runs while producing a .336 on-base percentage and .420 slugging percentage. Cincinnati has hit more home runs, but Los Angeles has scored 105 more runs while holding advantages of 27 points in batting average, 28 points in on-base percentage and 22 points in slugging percentage. That makes the Dodgers the considerably more complete offensive team entering the series.

The pitching numbers create an equally significant Los Angeles advantage over the full season. The Dodgers own a 3.70 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .220 batting average. Cincinnati sits at a 4.66 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and .252 opponent average. Los Angeles has also recorded 1,302 strikeouts compared with Cincinnati's 1,154 while issuing 140 fewer walks. The Dodgers' starter remains undecided, but their full pitching profile gives Los Angeles a significant advantage once the game moves beyond the opening matchup.

Cincinnati Reds vs Los Angeles Dodgers Picks and Prediction

Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline

Cincinnati's biggest argument is its starting-pitching advantage, but Los Angeles is the preferred side because of the much stronger overall team profile. The Dodgers are 17 games better in the standings, 43-28 at home and riding a three-game winning streak. Los Angeles also owns sizable advantages in batting average, runs, on-base percentage and slugging percentage while holding a 3.70 ERA and 1.17 WHIP compared with Cincinnati's 4.66 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. The Reds have a legitimate opportunity to keep this close early behind their starter, but over nine innings the Dodgers have more statistical advantages. ESPN Analytics giving Los Angeles a 62.0% win probability reinforces the lean toward the Dodgers moneyline.

Pick: Under 8.5

Under 8.5 is the preferred target despite both teams having shown the ability to produce some high-scoring games recently. Cincinnati sends a starter into Monday with a 2.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, while Los Angeles owns one of the stronger team pitching profiles in the supplied information at a 3.70 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and .220 opponent batting average. Three of the Dodgers' last four completed games finished with eight or fewer combined runs, while three of Cincinnati's last five also stayed at eight or fewer. The uncertainty surrounding the Los Angeles starter adds some risk, but the combination of Cincinnati's starting pitching and Los Angeles' season-long run prevention makes Under 8.5 the preferred total.

Final Picks: Los Angeles Dodgers Moneyline and Under 8.5

This preview was completed before play on Sunday. Starting pitchers, betting lines and other game information are subject to change before the game begins.