Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Sunday, July 26, 2026

The Cincinnati Reds visit the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The game is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. ET and will be televised on MLB.TV. Cincinnati enters the matchup with a 48-54 overall record and an even 26-26 road mark, while St. Louis stands at 52-51 overall and 26-28 at home. ESPN Analytics gives the Reds a 38.9 percent chance of winning and the Cardinals a 61.1 percent chance. The game information lists a temperature of 93 degrees. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers for Cincinnati and St. Louis

Cincinnati is scheduled to start Andrew Abbott, who enters with a 5-6 record, a 3.89 ERA, and a 1.40 WHIP across 111 innings. The left-hander has allowed 105 hits and 16 home runs while recording 90 strikeouts and issuing 50 walks. St. Louis is expected to counter with Kyle Leahy. The right-hander owns a 7-4 record with a 3.59 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP through 95.1 innings, allowing 96 hits and 10 home runs while collecting 79 strikeouts and issuing 33 walks.

Cincinnati Arrives with Four Wins in Five Games

The Reds enter Sunday six games below .500 overall but have played evenly on the road with a 26-26 record. Cincinnati recently defeated St. Louis 4-2 after earning consecutive road victories over Seattle by scores of 5-3 and 4-2. The Reds lost the other supplied game against Seattle 8-0 but previously defeated Colorado 9-6. Cincinnati has won four of its five most recent games, including three consecutive victories entering this matchup.

Cincinnati is batting .230 with 427 runs, 788 hits, and 135 home runs. The Reds have produced a .309 on-base percentage and a .400 slugging percentage. Their pitching staff carries a 4.53 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP while issuing 440 walks and recording 824 strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting .246 against Cincinnati, which owns a 22-20 record in day games.

The Reds’ clearest strength is their power production. Cincinnati has hit 135 home runs, giving it a 25-home-run advantage over St. Louis, and its .400 slugging percentage is 18 points higher than the Cardinals’ mark. The Reds have also recorded 43 more strikeouts as a pitching staff and hold the better day-game record. Cincinnati’s recent performance provides another encouraging sign, as the club has won three straight road games while scoring at least four runs in each victory.

St. Louis Searches for a Turnaround at Busch Stadium

The Cardinals enter this matchup one game above .500 overall but two games below .500 at home, where they hold a 26-28 record. St. Louis recently suffered a 4-2 loss to Cincinnati after dropping a 10-6 home decision against Arizona. The Cardinals earned a 1-0 road victory over Los Angeles but lost the other two supplied games against the Angels by scores of 5-1 and 3-2. St. Louis has lost four of its five most recent contests and enters Sunday on a two-game losing streak.

St. Louis is batting .240 with 456 runs, 825 hits, and 110 home runs. The Cardinals own a .316 on-base percentage and a .382 slugging percentage. Their pitching staff has posted a 4.17 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP while issuing 346 walks and collecting 781 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .253 against St. Louis, which has compiled a 17-24 record in day games.

The Cardinals’ strongest statistical advantages appear in batting average, overall run production, and pitching control. St. Louis holds a 10-point advantage in batting average, has scored 29 more runs, and has recorded 37 more hits than Cincinnati. The Cardinals also possess the lower team ERA and WHIP while issuing 94 fewer walks. Their scheduled starter holds advantages in record, ERA, WHIP, walks, and home runs allowed. However, St. Louis must overcome its recent 1-4 stretch, losing home record, and weaker day-game performance.

Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction

Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Pick

• Pick: Cincinnati Reds Moneyline

Cincinnati is my side selection despite receiving only a 38.9 percent chance from the matchup predictor. The Reds have won four of their five most recent games, including three consecutive road victories and a 4-2 win at St. Louis. Cincinnati is an even 26-26 away from home, while the Cardinals are 26-28 at Busch Stadium and have lost four of their last five. St. Louis owns several meaningful statistical advantages and the slightly stronger scheduled starter, but Cincinnati’s power, day-game record, and recent results support the road team.

Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Total Pick

• Pick: Under

Take the under if the total is set at 8.5. Four of Cincinnati’s last five games finished with eight combined runs or fewer, including three consecutive final scores of 4-2, 5-3, and 4-2. Four of St. Louis’ five most recent games also stayed below 8.5 combined runs. Both scheduled starters enter with ERAs below 4.00, and the recent meeting between these teams produced only six total runs. Those supplied results make the under the preferred selection.

Final Score Prediction: Cincinnati Reds 4 – St. Louis Cardinals 3

This prediction was written before the completion of game play on Saturday.