St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Picks and Prediction for Friday, July 17, 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals face the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field (NH) in Hanover, New Hampshire, on Friday, July 17, 2026, with the first pitch scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on MLB.TV. St. Louis enters the matchup at 50-45 overall and 24-19 away from home, while Arizona is 49-47 overall and 27-20 at home. ESPN Analytics gives the Cardinals a 47.0% chance to win and the Diamondbacks a 53.0% chance. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Be sure to check out our free MLB Picks⁠.

St. Louis Brings a Winning Record Into the Matchup

St. Louis enters Friday’s contest with a 50-45 overall record and an impressive 24-19 mark away from home. The Cardinals have won three of their last five games, recently earning 4-1 and 2-1 victories over Atlanta and defeating Milwaukee 5-1. St. Louis recently lost 4-3 to Atlanta and 8-4 to Milwaukee. The Cardinals held their opponent to one run in each of their three recent victories.

The Cardinals are batting .242 with 767 hits, 429 runs, and 107 home runs. They have recorded a .318 on-base percentage and a .390 slugging percentage. The St. Louis pitching staff owns a 4.13 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, with 318 walks and 715 strikeouts. Opponents are batting .251 against the Cardinals, who have compiled a 34-24 record in night games.

St. Louis’ primary strength is its ability to combine recent run prevention with a productive road record. The Cardinals have won more games than Arizona overall and hold a 24-19 record away from home. They also have the lower team ERA and lead the Diamondbacks in batting average, runs, hits, home runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. The concern is a 1.33 WHIP that is higher than Arizona’s 1.27 mark.

Arizona Enters on a Four-Game Winning Streak

Arizona carries a 49-47 overall record and a 27-20 home mark into Friday night. The Diamondbacks have won four consecutive games, recently defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers by scores of 5-3, 9-2, and 9-3. Arizona also recently earned a 3-1 victory over San Diego. Its only loss in the last five games was a 10-4 defeat against the Padres.

The Diamondbacks are batting .237 with 755 hits, 416 runs, and 89 home runs. Arizona has posted a .307 on-base percentage and a .384 slugging percentage. Its pitching staff carries a 4.21 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, with 273 walks and 655 strikeouts. Opposing batters are hitting .249 against the Diamondbacks, who have produced a 31-29 record in night games.

Arizona’s current winning streak is its clearest strength. The Diamondbacks have scored 26 runs while allowing only nine across their last four games. They have also held four straight opponents to three runs or fewer. Arizona’s 1.27 team WHIP, .249 opponent batting average, and 27-20 home record give it additional advantages. However, the Diamondbacks trail St. Louis in every supplied offensive category and have the slightly higher team ERA.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Picks and Prediction

St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Pick

• Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks Moneyline

Arizona is my moneyline selection. The Diamondbacks have won four consecutive games and hold a 53.0% advantage in the matchup predictor. They also own a strong 27-20 home record and have the lower team WHIP and opponent batting average. St. Louis holds the better overall record, has performed well away from home, and leads most of the supplied team categories. However, Arizona’s recent results provide the deciding edge, particularly after the Diamondbacks held four consecutive opponents to three runs or fewer.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Arizona Diamondbacks Total Pick

• Take the under if the total is set at 8.5.

I would take the under at 8.5. Arizona has allowed only nine total runs across its four-game winning streak, while St. Louis has held opponents to one run in three of its last five games. Four of the Cardinals’ last five contests finished with eight or fewer combined runs, and two of Arizona’s last five also stayed below that number. With team ERAs of 4.13 and 4.21 and both clubs recently producing several strong run-prevention performances, the under is my preferred total play.

Final Score Prediction

Final Score Prediction: Arizona Diamondbacks 5 – St. Louis Cardinals 3