Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals Picks and Prediction for Sunday July 26 2026

The Cincinnati Reds, sitting at 48–54, head to Busch Stadium in St. Louis to take on the St. Louis Cardinals, who are 52–51. After picking up a win against the Cardinals on Friday night, Cincinnati will try to carry that momentum into Sunday’s series finale and leave town with another victory. Get involved in the action with our free MLB picks.

Cincinnati vs. St. Louis Game Information

• July 26, 2026
• 2:15 PM EST
• Busch Stadium
• Cardinals.TV/MLB.TV/Reds.TV/Fubo

St. Louis Form & Recent Results

St. Louis heads into this matchup trying to shake off a rough stretch, as they’ve lost two straight games and have dropped four of their last five overall going into Saturday. The skid has included a few frustrating results in different settings that included a home loss to the Reds on Friday night, another defeat at home against the Diamondbacks, and a pair of losses on the road against the Angels in Anaheim. Those setbacks have made it tougher for the Cardinals to build momentum, and they now find themselves needing a strong response to keep this series from getting away from them.

On Friday in the 4–2 loss to Cincinnati at home, third baseman Blaze Jordan was one of the few bright spots at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double and driving in both St. Louis runs with two RBI. Over the course of the season, right fielder Jordan Walker has been the team’s main power threat, leading the Cardinals with 22 home runs. He’s had plenty of support behind him, too, with second baseman JJ Wetherholt and first baseman Alec Burleson sitting tied for second on the club with 15 homers apiece. Walker has also been their most productive run producer, pacing the team with 77 RBI, and he’s been their most consistent hitter as well, leading St. Louis with a .288 batting average. Even so, the pitching staff will likely be a big focus on Sunday, as the Cardinals have given up an average of 4.4 runs per game over their last five, and they’ll be aiming to tighten things up and earn a much-needed home win in the series finale against the Reds on Sunday afternoon.

Cincinnati Form & Recent Results

Cincinnati comes into this matchup playing some of its best baseball in a while. The Reds are riding a three-game winning streak and have taken four of their last five overall, with those wins coming in a few different environments, one in St. Louis against the Cardinals, two out in Seattle against the Mariners, and another in Denver versus the Rockies. That kind of recent success on the road matters, because it suggests they’re finding ways to win even when they’re not at home, and they’ll be looking to carry that confidence into Sunday as the second half of the season has gotten underway.

Even in Friday’s 4–2 loss on the road, there were positives for Cincinnati. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez was one of the bright spots, going 2-for-4 and filling up the box score with a single, a walk, a home run, a run scored, and two RBIs. On the mound, starter Rhett Lowder worked five innings, giving up just one hit and two earned runs while walking two and striking out four, keeping the game within reach. Offensively, the Reds still produced plenty of contact, finishing with 11 hits, one homer, and 15 total bases. Over the course of the season, first baseman Sal Stewart has been their main power and run-producing threat, leading the team with 21 home runs and 75 RBIs. JJ Bleday and Elly De La Cruz have provided plenty of pop as well, sitting second on the team with 17 homers each, while De La Cruz also tops Cincinnati in batting average at .276. Overall, the Reds have averaged 4.4 runs per game over their last five, and they’ll be aiming to keep that steady scoring pace going against the Cardinals on Sunday.

Key Stats

• Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart this season: 21 HRs, 75 RBI, .251 AVG
• St. Louis’ Jordan Walker this season: 22 HR, 77 RBI, .288 AVG

Betting Odds & Market Overview:

• STL -136 / CIN +113; O/U 8.5

Cincinnati vs. St. Louis Picks and Prediction

Cincinnati opened the series in St. Louis with an important win on Friday, and now they’ll try to keep that same energy going in the next game. The Reds will hand the ball to left-hander Andrew Abbott, who’s been fairly steady this year, coming in at 5–6 with a 3.89 ERA and looking to build on that momentum against a division rival. The Cardinals will respond with right-hander Kyle Leahy, who’s put together a strong season of his own at 7–4 with a 3.59 ERA. St. Louis hasn’t come out of the All-Star break the way it hoped, stumbling a bit since the second half began, so this matchup feels like a chance for them to flip the script and start generating some positive momentum, especially with an NL Central opponent in town. Final Score Prediction, St. Louis Cardinals win 4-0.