Free Pick: Cardinals vs. Reds Odds
Looking for St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Free MLB predictions? MLB betting sees the Cardinals taking on the Reds on 5/23 at Great American Ball Park, in Cincinnati. This free MLB baseball pick is based on matchup analysis and documented handicapping data tracked by CappersPicks since 2004, with a focus on identifying the strongest betting angle for this Cardinals Reds matchup..
2026 MLB Handicapping – St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds Game 2
(28-21) St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds (26-24)
Date: May 23, 2026
Time: 7:15 PM ET
Venue: Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH
Projected Starting Pitchers: Kyle Leahy vs. Chase Petty
MLB Moneyline Odds: Cardinals -112 | Reds -110 (Bet Now!)
Today’s MLB Run Line Betting Odds: Cardinals -1.5 | Reds +1.5
MLB Baseball Gambling Total: O/U: 9.5
Here’s why I’m backing a Cincinnati ML bet below in my Cardinals Reds free pick & gambling prediction for this Game 2 doubleheader matchup.
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Cardinals vs. Reds Gameday
Today, the St. Louis Cardinals travel to Great American Ball Park for a matchup against the Cincinnati Reds. Oliver Marmol’s club enters looking to snap a two-game losing streak after recent losses against Pittsburgh. Even with the skid, St. Louis has continued playing strong baseball away from home.
The Cardinals still carry an impressive 15-8 road record entering tonight.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati enters with momentum after winning two straight games against Philadelphia. Terry Francona’s club has also posted a solid 13-11 record at home this season overall. The Reds continue building confidence after recent offensive performances.
Cincinnati enters hotter, but St. Louis has remained dangerous away from home.
These teams have not faced each other yet during the current season overall. Last year’s meetings remained closely contested while Cincinnati narrowly edged St. Louis across the last ten matchups. Light rain is expected tonight, so both teams may need to adjust throughout the game.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Odds & Last 5
Interestingly, tonight’s betting odds show a nearly even matchup between these division rivals overall. St. Louis enters with a slight moneyline edge at -111 while Cincinnati sits close behind at -109. The Cardinals also carry a -1.5 runline at +145 entering tonight.
The total for tonight’s matchup has been set at 9.5 runs overall.
St. Louis enters after consecutive losses against Pittsburgh during the previous series overall. The Cardinals struggled defensively while also dealing with inconsistent pitching performances throughout those games. Cincinnati, meanwhile, enters after back-to-back wins against Philadelphia.
The Reds have continued generating strong offensive production during recent games entering tonight. Cincinnati’s lineup has especially produced extra-base hits consistently throughout the winning streak. That offensive momentum could become important again tonight at home.
Reds Stats
Cincinnati has continued producing mixed offensive numbers throughout the season overall. The Reds own a .229 batting average entering tonight, ranking 16th across baseball. Even so, their 63 home runs rank fifth overall entering this matchup.
Power hitting continues remaining one of Cincinnati’s biggest offensive strengths this year.
Pitching has produced more uneven results for the Reds throughout the season overall. Cincinnati enters with a 4.73 earned run average, ranking 25th across baseball this year. Even so, the rotation has still managed 16 quality starts entering tonight.
Elly De La Cruz continues leading Cincinnati offensively with a .290 batting average and 11 home runs overall. Sal Stewart has also delivered major production with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs this season. Both hitters continue driving much of the Reds’ offense.
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Cardinals Stats
St. Louis has remained fairly consistent offensively throughout much of the season overall. The Cardinals carry a .240 batting average entering tonight, ranking 11th across baseball. Their .318 on-base percentage also ranks 10th overall this year.
Power production has remained closer to the middle of the league for St. Louis.
The Cardinals have recorded 56 home runs entering tonight, ranking 11th across baseball overall. Extra-base production has been less impressive, however, with only 72 doubles ranking 17th overall. St. Louis continues searching for more offensive consistency.
Pitching has also produced mixed overall results throughout the season entering tonight. The Cardinals own a 4.24 earned run average, ranking 21st across baseball this year. Even so, the rotation has still recorded 18 quality starts overall during the season.
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Cardinals vs. Reds Pitching Matchup
Kyle Leahy takes the mound tonight for the St. Louis Cardinals carrying a 5-3 record this season overall. He owns a 3.94 earned run average while recording 34 strikeouts through his appearances so far. Leahy has continued finding ways to work through difficult innings.
His 1.55 WHIP reflects continued traffic on the bases during starts.
Even so, Leahy has still managed to secure wins while keeping St. Louis competitive throughout outings. The Cardinals continue relying on his ability to settle in during key situations overall. More consistency tonight could help stabilize the rotation again.
Chase Petty enters for the Cincinnati Reds carrying a 0-0 record during limited action this season. He owns a 4.76 earned run average alongside a 1.06 WHIP entering tonight’s matchup. Petty has additionally recorded only 1 strikeout so far.
The smaller sample size still makes evaluating Petty more difficult entering tonight overall. Cincinnati will continue hoping he gains confidence and settles deeper into the rotation moving forward. Improving the strikeout production remains one key area to watch.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds bottom line: Cincinnati enters with stronger recent momentum, but St. Louis continues playing well enough on the road to keep this matchup close.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Baseball Betting Trends
- The Reds have gone 2-3 straight-up in their last five games.
- The Reds have hit the over on total runs in 3 of their last 5 games.
- The Cardinals are 2-3 straight-up in their last five games.
- Also, the Cardinals have hit the under in 3 of their last 5 games.
- The Reds have covered the run line in 2 of their last 5 games.
- Additionally, the Cardinals have covered the run line in 2 of their last 5 games.
Game 2 Cardinals Reds Free Pick: Reds ML -109
Here is my Cardinals Reds free pick: Cincinnati feels like the better value side tonight.
The Reds have started building momentum again with back-to-back wins while continuing to play solid baseball at home. That recent confidence matters.
St. Louis enters this matchup off consecutive losses despite carrying a strong road record overall. Can the Cardinals quickly flip things back around here?
Add in Cincinnati already showing comfort playing at Great American Ball Park lately. Quick thought, home rhythm matters in baseball.
The edge still leans toward the Reds here.
Cincinnati looks capable of protecting home field tonight.
The recent momentum and reasonable price both support backing Cincinnati in this matchup. My MLB betting system tells me the Reds ML is the play.
Today’s MLB Free Pick
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MLB Betting Tweet Of The Day
Tonight’s scheduled postgame fireworks show has been moved to Saturday, May 23 after the 7:15 p.m. game. pic.twitter.com/YukFZsTSTq
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 22, 2026
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