The Washington Nationals host a St. Louis Cardinals club riding a five-game winning streak when their three-game series opens tonight at Nationals Park.
Former Nats starter Erick Fedde has been dealing on the road, and my Cardinals vs. Nationals predictions expect the St. Louis righty's hot streak to continue against his former team as the Redbirds build an early lead.
Read on for my MLB picks for Friday, May 9.
Cardinals vs Nationals prediction
My Cardinals vs Nationals best bet: Cardinals F5 moneyline (-102 at FanDuel)
A red-hot club like the St. Louis Cardinals should be a heavy favorite to wallop a sub-.500 group like the Washington Nationals.
The Cards are only batting .228 on the road, but their .279 BABIP and .325 BABIP against left-handed pitching suggest some bad luck could change tonight.
While advanced metrics suggest the Cards' bats could see positive regression, the same can’t be said for Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker.
Parker is 3-0 at home and twirling a .193/.291/.216 slash line, but he’s issued nine walks in his past two starts with a home xFIP nearly three runs higher than his ERA, and these Cards boast a high walk rate (10%) while slashing .252/.343/.360 against lefties.
Former Nationals first-round draft pick Erick Fedde has surrendered two earned runs over his previous 12 away innings. He’s been particularly tough on left-handed bats (.210/.315/.290), and meets as many as six of them in a Washington lineup boasting the 24th-worst BABIP and 18th-worst OPS against righties.
The Cards are coming in hot, and they’ve slapped lefties like Parker. Fedde’s recent road success paired against a barely .500 home club suggests St. Louis and Fedde have a good chance to win the first five innings.
Cardinals vs Nationals same-game parlay (SGP)
Cardinals F5 moneyline
Erick Fedde Over 3.5 strikeouts
Over 8.5
I expect Fedde to battle, but I also expect runs to be scored by both lineups.
Fedde struck out 4+ in three of four previous starts and meets a Washington lineup that owns a 20.5% strikeout rate that’s spiked to nearly 23% across the last seven days.
Both starting pitchers have command issues. Each issue north of four free passes per nine against good lineups with runners in scoring position.
St. Louis is hitting .270 with RISP, while Washington is batting .259. Both bullpens have been average across the last seven days, but the Nats ‘pen is issuing nearly five walks per nine.
The Over/Under is 7-2 in their last nine H2H meetings, and tonight’s contest should follow this trend.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Cardinals vs Nationals odds
Cardinals vs Nationals live odds
Cardinals vs Nationals opening odds
- Moneyline: St. Louis -102 | Washington -116
- Run line: St. Louis -1.5 (+160) | Washington +1.5 (-194)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-114) | Under 8.5 (-106)
Cardinals vs Nationals trend
The Over/Under is 7-2 across the last nine H2H meetings. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Nationals.
How to watch Cardinals vs Nationals and game info
| Location | Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. |
| Date | Friday, 5-9-2025 |
| First pitch | 6:45 p.m. ET |
| TV | Apple TV+ |
| Cardinals starting pitcher | Erick Fedde (2-3, 4.78 ERA) |
| Nationals starting pitcher | Mitchell Parker (3-2, 3.48 ERA) |
Cardinals vs Nationals latest injuries
Cardinals vs Nationals weather
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