Two of the top teams in the National League Central collide as the first-place Cincinnati Reds visit the surging Chicago Cubs for the opener of a four-game series on Monday (8:05 p.m. ET) at Wrigley Field. Cincinnati (58-49), which is just one half-game ahead of Milwaukee, has split the first six contests of its 10-game road trip after rolling to a 9-0 victory against the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Chicago (53-52) fell four games behind the Reds after Sunday's 3-0 loss at St. Louis, which ended its eight-game winning streak.

For Monday, Chicago is a -121 favorite in the latest Cubs vs. Reds odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Cincinnati is a +101 underdog. The over/under for total runs scored is 8. The game is one of 10 on the MLB schedule for Monday evening. (See up-to-date lines for every game on our MLB odds page.)

Before making any MLB picks or parlays, be sure to see the predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer 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 19 of the 2023 MLB season 49-39 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 11-3 (+504). Anybody following has seen big returns!

Now, the model has set its sights on the MLB schedule for Monday and has generated a three-leg parlay that would pay 6-1. The parlay doesn't start until 6:40 p.m. ET, giving you plenty of time to make your MLB picks.

We can tell you that one of the picks is the Cubs (-121) to defeat the Reds, but the model has locked in two other selections for the parlay! You ABSOLUTELY need to see them before locking in any MLB picks of your own.

So which play is a MUST-BACK? And what teams do you need to include in your parlay for a payout of 6-1? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which picks you should be all over on Monday, all from the model that is on an 11-3 run on top-rated run-line picks!