Pick details
| MATCHUP | St. Louis Cardinals | Houston Astros |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 11-8 | 8-13 |
| Spread | +1.5 -163 | -1.5 135 |
| Moneyline | +129 | -156 |
| Total | Over 9 (-105) | Under 9 (-115) |
| Where | Daikin Park, Houston, Texas | |
| When | Saturday, April 18, 2026 | |
| Time | 07:10 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals are 11-8 on the year and play the Marlins and Mariners next. The St. Louis Cardinals are batting .233 on the season and have a .329 OBP, and a .377 slugging percentage. The St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff has a 4.89 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. Jordan Walker leads the St. Louis Cardinals with 23 hits and 16 RBI while Alec Burleson and JJ Wetherholt have combined for 37 hits and 23 RBI.
Andre Pallante gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals, and he is 1-1 with a 4.80 ERA and 7 strikeouts this season. Pallante is 0-1 with a 16.20 ERA and 2 strikeouts in his career against the Houston Astros.
Houston Astros Betting Preview
The Houston Astros are 8-13 on the year and play the Guardians and Yankees next. The Houston Astros are batting .262 on the season and have a .353 OBP, and a .434 slugging percentage. The Houston Astros pitching staff has a 6.15 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Yordan Alvarez leads the Houston Astros with 24 hits and 19 RBI, while Jose Altuve and Christian Walker have combined for 42 hits and 23 RBI.
Lance McCullers Jr. gets the ball for the Houston Astros, and he is 1-0 with a 5.87 ERA and 17 strikeouts this season. This will be McCullers’ first career game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Why the Houston Astros will win
- The Cardinals have lost each of their last four road games against AL West opponents following a road win.
- The Astros have won four of their last five games against the Cardinals following a loss.
- The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in 10 of their last 11 road games against AL West opponents following a road win.
- The Astros have covered the run line in five of their last six games as favorites against NL Central opponents following a loss.
Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win
- The underdogs have won four of the last five games between the Cardinals and Astros.
- The Astros have lost four of their last five games as favorites against National League opponents following a loss.
- The Astros have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games against National League opponents.
- The Cardinals have covered the run line in four of their last five road games.
- The Cardinals have led after 5 innings in four of their last five games at Daikin Park.
- The Cardinals have led after 3 innings in four of their last five games against the Astros at Daikin Park.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Cardinals’ last five games as underdogs against American League opponents has gone OVER the total runs line.
- Five of the last six games between the Cardinals and Astros at Daikin Park have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Astros’ last seven home games.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Cardinals’ last five games against American League opponents.
Houston Astros Player Prop Facts
- Yordan Alvarez has recorded at least one hit in each of the Astros’ last 10 games at Daikin Park.
- Yainer Diaz has hit a home run in each of his three previous home appearances against the Cardinals.
St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts
- Alec Burleson has recorded at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 road appearances against AL opponents that held a losing record.
- Nolan Gorman has hit at least one home run in three of the Cardinals’ last four games at Daikin Park.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Astros rank 30th in the league for walks allowed this season (116).
- The Astros rank 2nd in the league for hits this season (187).
- The Cardinals rank 27th in the league for ERA this season (4.89).
- The Cardinals rank 27th in the league for opponent batting average this season (.262).
St. Louis Cardinals vs Houston Astros Prediction
The Astros should be favored at home with the better pitcher on the mound, but I’m leaning toward the over. We saw a high-scoring game yesterday and that should continue here. Pallante has a 4.80 ERA and 1.53 WHIP through 15 innings, while McCullers has a 5.87 ERA and 1.30 WHIP through 15.1 innings. These pitchers have also combined for 14 walks. Two capable offenses and two pitchers having issues finding their footing. I expect some fireworks. Give me the over on Saturday night.
Randy Chambers's Pick: Over
