The Philadelphia Phillies host the St. Louis Cardinals on August 23, 2026. First pitch from Citizens Bank Park is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on CARD.
The Phillies are favored by -220 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Cardinals are +180 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 7.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Cardinals vs Phillies prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Cardinals vs Phillies Prediction
- Cardinals vs Phillies Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+113 | Play to +105)
My Cardinals vs Phillies best bet is on Philadelphia to cover. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Cardinals vs Phillies Odds
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -130 | 7.5 -118o / -102u | +180 |
| Phillies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +105 | 7.5 -118o / -102u | -220 |
- Cardinals vs Phillies moneyline: Cardinals +180, Phillies -220
- Cardinals vs Phillies over/under: 7.5 (-118 / -102)
- Cardinals vs Phillies spread: Cardinals +1.5 (-130), Phillies -1.5 (+105)
Cardinals vs Phillies Probable Pitchers
| RHP Kyle Leahy (STL) | Stat | LHP Cristopher Sanchez (PHI) |
|---|---|---|
| 10-4 | W-L | 16-4 |
| 2.3 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 5.2 |
| 3.24 / 4.95 | ERA / xERA | 2.51 / 3.35 |
| 3.53 / 3.68 | FIP / xFIP | 2.61 / 2.58 |
| 14.7% | K-BB% | 22.1% |
| 45.9% | GB% | 57.6% |
| .320 | BABIP | .340 |
| 92 | Stuff+ | 117 |
| 106 | Location+ | 97 |
Cardinals vs Phillies MLB Betting Preview
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
Now is the time to sell high on right-hander Kyle Leahy, who gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He has gotten away with some poor pitching over the past two months, making his ERA look better than his actual performance suggests.
That said, his underlying metrics better highlight his struggles. This season, Leahy owns a 4.94 xERA and a .274 xBA.
The right-hander also ranks in the second percentile in average exit velocity, 11th percentile in barrel rate and first percentile in hard-hit rate. If this expected regression occurs Sunday, St. Louis could be in trouble given its difficulty providing run support.
Entering this matchup, the Cardinals rank in the bottom half of the league in runs scored per game, hits per game, slugging percentage and OPS.
Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview
St. Louis’ struggles at the plate are likely to continue against left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who takes the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 42 combined plate appearances against Sanchez, the current Cardinals roster owns a .179 batting average, a .256 slugging percentage and a .225 weighted on-base average.
Granted, most teams struggle against Sanchez. For the second consecutive year, the left-hander is likely to finish just short in the NL Cy Young race.
Through 26 starts, Sanchez is 16-4 with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. His underlying metrics are equally impressive.
This season, Sanchez ranks in the 77th percentile in xERA, 84th percentile in strikeout rate and 90th percentile in walk rate. This success is likely to continue against St. Louis, a team he has dominated.
Cardinals vs Phillies Pick, Betting Analysis
In four career starts against the Cardinals, Sanchez is 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. The clear pitching advantage goes to Philadelphia, which leaves only the hitting matchup to consider.
This season, the Phillies rank ahead of St. Louis in runs scored per game, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. With advantages both at the plate and on the mound, plus home-field advantage, Philadelphia should take care of business Sunday.
Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+113 | Play to +105)
