There are just two American League games on Monday’s schedule with both of them taking place in the morning, so I’m going to focus on a couple National League contests. There are three quality contests on the bill featuring a pair of road favorites, so let’s break down these Monday matchups.

**Dodgers (Penny) at Reds (Belisle)**

-Caesars Palace installed Los Angeles as a $1.35 road ‘chalk’ over Cincinnati, with the total set at nine. This contest is scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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-Los Angeles pitcher Brad Penny (2-2, 2.96 ERA) snapped out of a personal two-game slide to beat Pittsburgh Wednesday as a $2.00 home favorite, 8-1. The right-hander was reached for an unearned run on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

-The combined nine runs toppled the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ cash his second straight start.

-Penny beat the Reds last year as a $1.75 home ‘chalk,’ 7-3, going 6 1/3 innings while allowing one run on four hits with a walk and four strikeouts. The combined 10 runs went ‘over’ the 7 ½-run closing total.

-Cincinnati gives the starting nod to right-hander Matthew Belisle who is coming off the 15-day disabled list due to a sore right forearm. The five-year veteran went 8-9 last season in 30 starts, going a combined 177 2/3 innings while yielding 111 runs (105 earned) on 212 hits (26 home runs) with 43 walks and 125 strikeouts for a 5.32 ERA.

-Belisle did not start against the Dodgers last season. The Texas native was used mostly as a reliever until last year, making 90 appearances in 2005 and 2006 and only seven starts.

**Cardinals (Wainwright) at Brewers (Villanueva)**

-Caesars Palace lists Milwaukee as a $1.15 home ‘chalk’ over St. Louis, with the total set at nine ‘under’ (minus $1.20). This National League Central contest is scheduled to start at 8:05 p.m. ET.

-St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.78 ERA) toppled Milwaukee Wednesday as a $1.33 home favorite, 5-4. The 6-foot-7 hurler went 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

-The combined nine runs slithered ‘over’ the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ improve to 2-1 when he’s on the hill.

-Wainwright went 1-1 against the Brewers last season in two starts, going a combined 12 innings while surrendering nine runs (four earned) on 10 hits (one home run) with five walks and 15 strikeouts. The Cardinals prevailed as a $1.10 road underdog, 8-0, while losing as a $1.30 road ‘dog, 13-5.

-Milwaukee counters with Carlos Villanueva (1-2, 6.19 ERA) who was the losing pitcher to Wainwright and the Cardinals in that Wednesday matchup. Villanueva was roughed up for five runs on eight hits (two home runs) with two walks and no strikeouts over just 4 2/3 innings.

-The Dominican Republic native has seen the ‘over’ go 2-1 during his three starts this season.

-Villanueva fell to the Cardinals in his lone effort against them last year as a $2.00 home ‘chalk,’ 7-3. The righty went six innings, yielding three runs on five hits (one home run) with four walks and three strikeouts. The combined 10 runs went ‘over’ the nine-run closing total.

**Phillies (Kendrick) at Rockies (Redman)**

-Caesars Palace opened Philadelphia as a $1.10 road favorite over Colorado, with the total listed at 11 ‘over’ (minus $1.15). This matchup is slated to start at 8:35 p.m. ET.

-Philadelphia’s Kyle Kendrick (1-2, 4.40 ERA) has dropped his last two outings after falling to Houston Wednesday as a $1.15 home ‘chalk,’ 2-1. The two-year veteran tossed seven innings, surrendering two runs on four hits (one home run) with a walk and five strikeouts.

-The combined three runs never seriously threatened the 9 ½-run closing total, ending back-to-back ‘over’ outings for the right hander.

-Kendrick went 0-1 against the Rockies last year in two starts, going a combined nine innings while yielding seven runs on 17 hits (one home run) with two walks and five strikeouts.

-The Phillies ended dropping those games as a $1.45 road underdog, 7-6, and as a $1.73 home favorite, 12-0. The ‘over’ cashed in both matchups.

-Colorado left-hander Mark Redman (2-1, 4.60 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since beating San Diego Wednesday as a $1.28 road underdog, 10-2. The former Oklahoma Sooner was reached for two runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts over five innings.

-The combined 12 runs eclipsed the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘over’ cash his second start in a row.

-Redman fell to the Phillies last year as a $1.23 home underdog, 6-4, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with three walks and a strikeout over just 1 2/3 innings. The combined 10 runs slithered ‘over’ the 9 ½-run closing total.

Brad Young can be reached at byoung@vegasinsider.com.