The Cincinnati Reds host the St. Louis Cardinals on May 23, 2026 for Game 2 of a doubleheader. First pitch from Great American Ball Park is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on FOX.
Both the Reds and Cardinals are even on the moneyline at -110 and with the Cardinals favored by -1.5 on the run line. The Reds are +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 9.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Cardinals vs Reds prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Cardinals vs Reds Prediction
- Cardinals vs Reds Pick: Cardinals Moneyline (-110, DraftKings)
My Cardinals vs Reds best bet is on the moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Cardinals vs Reds Odds
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +137 | 9.5 -116o / -104u | -110 |
| Reds Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -166 | 9.5 -116o / -104u | -110 |
- Cardinals vs Reds moneyline: Cardinals -110, Reds -110
- Cardinals vs Reds over/under: 9.5 (-116o / -104u)
- Cardinals vs Reds spread: Cardinals -1.5 (+137), Reds +1.5 (-166)
Cardinals vs Reds Probable Pitchers
| RHP Kyle Leahy (STL) | Stat | RHP Chase Petty (CIN) |
|---|---|---|
| 5-3 | W-L | 0-0 |
| 0.0 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.0 |
| 3.94 / 6.16 | ERA / xERA | 4.76 / 6.24 |
| 4.83 / 4.41 | FIP / xFIP | 6.10 / 5.53 |
| 6.8% | K-BB% | -4.3% |
| 46.3% | GB% | 40% |
| .317 | BABIP | .158 |
| 89 | Stuff+ | 101 |
| 105 | Location+ | 105 |
Cardinals vs Reds MLB Betting Preview
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview: Better Season Than Expected
The Cardinals were projected to finish in last place with a preseason win total of 69.5 wins. Playing at a 93-win pace, they are on pace to smash that projection. That comes despite playing in a wildly competitive NL Central, where they currently sit in second place.
Jordan Walker's breakout season may have taken a bit longer than expected by Cardinals fans (and the front office), but he is carrying the offense now. After hitting 11 home runs over the last two seasons, Walker is already up to 13 dingers this season. He currently ranks in the top 20 in the MLB in batting average, home runs, RBI, and OPS.
Former top 10 pick JJ Wetherholt has set the table at the top of the lineup with a team-leading 35 runs scored, nine home runs, six stolen bases, and a .771 OPS. Walker (2.8) and Wetherholt (2.5) are the Cardinals' position players in WAR. Alec Burleson has been on a heater as well with four multi-hit games in his last seven games, which includes two doubles and a home run.
Kyle Leahy will get the start in the second game of the doubleheader. He is coming off his longest outing of the season with six innings, when he allowed one run on five hits to the Royals.
He has needed to pitch around a lot of trouble this season, as he has a 1.55 WHIP. He has only surrendered a 3.94 ERA this season, but his StatCast page would indicate negative regression is coming for him.
Cincinnati Reds Betting Preview: Pitching Needs to Be Better
After ending April at 20-11, you would have thought the Reds would be the team in second (or first) place in the NL Central entering today's games.
They have actually performed better at the plate this month, but their pitching has let them down as they are just 6-13 this month. The Reds have a 5.88 ERA this month while allowing an .834 OPS. That is despite a phenomenal start to the season from second-year starter Chase Burns.
The Reds will recall Chase Petty to serve as the team's 27th man and start tonight's game. He made one spot start earlier when he allowed three earned runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Cubs.
However, his time in Triple-A has not gone well this season as he has a 6.32 ERA in 31 1/3 innings. If Petty's struggle carry over to the majors, the Reds' bats will need to step up to take the nightcap.
Elly De La Cruz is off to another strong start as he looks for his third straight All-Star appearance. He is slashing .290/.356/.525 with 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and nine stolen bases. De La Cruz is one of the league's most prolific base stealers, but he has gone down from 67 to 37 to nine thus far this season.
Sal Stewart got off to a hot start before cooling off, but he has turned it on again this week. He has three multi-hit games in the last four games while homering in two of his last three games. His 12 home runs lead all NL rookies and are tied for 14th in the MLB.
Cardinals vs Reds Pick, Betting Analysis
Over the last 10 meetings, both teams have won five games and the over is 5-5 as well. While the first matchup today will break one of those trends, it will not change how these teams have fared in the division thus far. The Cardinals are 6-3 against the NL Central thus far, while the Reds are just 1-9 in division.
The Cardinals have also been nocturnal birds this season. They are 19-8 in night games, while averaging 4.74 runs per game and surrendering a 3.86 ERA. I like their bats to win this one, but do give them a slight edge on the mound in starting pitchers as well.
Pick: Cardinals Moneyline (-110, DraftKings)
QS
