St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds Picks and Prediction for Tuesday August 18, 2026

The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET on August 18, with MLB.TV providing coverage. St. Louis enters at 63-61 overall and 31-27 on the road, while Cincinnati is 59-64 overall and 30-33 at home. The Cardinals have won four of their last five games, while the Reds are 2-3 during the same stretch and have dropped two straight. St. Louis also leads the season series 5-3, while ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Cardinals a narrow 52.7% advantage. At the time of this writing the odds were not released. Check out our free MLB picks for more baseball predictions and betting analysis.

Starting Pitchers

Kyle Leahy gets the start for St. Louis with a 9-4 record, 3.38 ERA, and 1.34 WHIP through 117.1 innings. The right-hander has allowed 122 hits and 12 home runs while recording 105 strikeouts against 35 walks. Cincinnati counters with Andrew Abbott, who enters at 6-7 with a 4.13 ERA and 1.42 WHIP over 133 innings. The left-hander has surrendered 125 hits and 17 home runs while striking out 102 and walking 64. Leahy owns the advantage in record, ERA, WHIP, walks, and home runs allowed, giving St. Louis the stronger statistical profile in the starting matchup.

St. Louis Arrives With Offensive Momentum

St. Louis enters Tuesday at 63-61 overall and has played winning baseball away from home with a 31-27 road record. The Cardinals have won four of their last five games, including two straight. They scored 19 runs across their last two contests, winning 8-4 and 11-4, after being held scoreless in their previous game.

The Cardinals are batting .240 this season with 548 runs, 997 hits, and 129 home runs. They own a .316 on-base percentage and .382 slugging percentage. St. Louis has posted a 4.04 team ERA and 1.34 WHIP while opponents are batting .252.

St. Louis doesn't possess overwhelming power, but the Cardinals have been better than Cincinnati at consistently generating offense. They have scored 46 more runs despite hitting 32 fewer home runs, while also holding advantages in batting average and on-base percentage. Combine that with the stronger pitching numbers, and St. Louis enters with a balanced statistical advantage.

Cincinnati's Power Hasn't Produced Enough Runs

Cincinnati comes into Tuesday at 59-64 overall and 30-33 at Great American Ball Park. The Reds have lost three of their last five games and each of their last two, falling 8-4 and 7-1 in their most recent contests. Cincinnati did pick up victories by scores of 9-8 and 1-0 during this five-game stretch, highlighting the inconsistent nature of its recent offensive production.

The Reds are hitting .226 with 502 runs, 925 hits, and 161 home runs. Cincinnati has a .306 on-base percentage and .393 slugging percentage. The pitching staff owns a 4.51 ERA and 1.40 WHIP while opposing hitters are batting .246.

Power is Cincinnati's clearest offensive strength. The Reds have hit 161 home runs compared with 129 for St. Louis, but that advantage hasn't translated into superior overall scoring. Cincinnati has produced fewer runs, hits, and baserunners while also carrying the weaker pitching numbers. The Reds will need their power to make a significant difference if they are going to overcome those disadvantages Tuesday.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds Picks and Prediction

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals Moneyline

St. Louis is the preferred side in this NL Central matchup. The Cardinals have won four of five, own a winning road record, and lead Cincinnati 5-3 in the season series. They also hold advantages in team ERA, WHIP, batting average, on-base percentage, and overall run production. The scheduled starting matchup further favors St. Louis, making the Cardinals the stronger moneyline selection if the eventual price remains reasonable.

Pick: Over 8.5

Take the over if the total is set at 8.5. St. Louis has scored 19 runs over its last two games, while Cincinnati's pitching staff enters with a 4.51 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. The Reds have also shown considerable home-run power with 161 long balls this season, giving them the ability to contribute even against the stronger St. Louis pitching staff. Great American Ball Park could see enough offense from both sides to push this matchup past 8.5 runs.

This Preview was completed prior to play on Monday.