Kansas City Royals vs. St. Louis Cardinals, Picks and Prediction, Saturday, May 16, 2026
Use Code WWWC Kansas City (19-24) will be trying to bounce back from their series loss to the White Sox when they visit Busch Stadium on Saturday afternoon to face St. Louis (24-18) in the second game of their three-game series at 2:15 PM. ET. Read on to find out which team picks up the win in this Royals vs. Cardinals prediction. Don’t go down on strikes! Get our top MLB Predictions and increase your bankroll!
Noah Cameron, 2-2, 5.55 ERA, will get the start for the Royals. The Cardinals will counter with Kyle Leahy, 4-3, 4.31 ERA.
Kansas City is 6-4 in its last 10 games against St. Louis.
**This preview was written before Friday’s game was played.**
Get Free $30 Credit for Premium Picks + Exclusive Discounts
Subscribe Now
Royals Trying To Move Up Division Standings
The Royals followed up their series win over Detroit with a series loss to the White Sox. They are fourth in the AL Central standings, half a game behind third-placed Minnesota, and will try to move up the standings when they face the Cardinals.
Kansas City averages 4.16 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. Their .241 batting average is 15th in the league. Their .319 on base percentage is 19th, while their .392 slugging percentage is 10th.
Bobby Witt Jr. has been the most consistent batter for the Royals. He leads the team with a .306 batting average, seven home runs, and 22 RBI.
Kansas City is giving up 4.53 runs per game, which is 19th in the league. Opponents have a .237 batting average against the Royals, which is 12th in the league. Their 4.38 ERA is 21st, as is their 1.37 WHIP.
In his last start, Cameron gave up four hits and three runs in four innings, leading to a 6-3 loss to Detroit.
Cardinals Going For Second Consecutive Series Win
The Cardinals followed up their four-game split with San Diego with a series win over the Athletics. They will try to keep the momentum going and pick up their second consecutive series win when they play the Royals.
St. Louis averages 4.62 runs per game, which is ninth in the league. Their .239 batting average is 16th in the league. Their .321 on base percentage is also 16th, while their .387 slugging percentage is 14th.
Jordan Walker has been the big bat for St. Louis. He leads the Cardinals with a .290 batting average, 11 home runs, and 30 RBI.
St. Louis is giving up 4.60 runs per game, which is 20th in the league. Opponents have a .253 batting average against the Cardinals, which is 23rd in the league. Their 4.29 ERA is 19th, while their 1.38 WHIP is 22nd.
In his last start, Leahy gave up two hits and no runs in five innings, but the team lost to the Padres 3-2.
Royals vs. Cardinals Picks
Money Line Pick for Royals vs. Cardinals
- St. Louis Cardinals ML (4 Units)
The Cardinals have the edge here because they’re playing well offensively and scored at least five runs in two of their last three games. They’ve had a lot of success against left-handers, and they’re going up against Cameron, who has struggled on the mound, especially on the road, where he gave up 12 runs in his last two starts. The Kansas City bullpen also isn’t playing well, which will be a problem against one of the best offenses in the league.
The Royals will have a hard time keeping up offensively because they aren’t playing as well as the Cardinals, and they have to face Leahy, who looked good on the mound in recent starts, giving up four runs in his last three starts, so expect him to keep Kansas City’s offense in check. Take St. Louis on the money line.
Over/Under Pick for Royals vs. Cardinals
- Over (4 Units)
The Royals average 4.16 runs per game. They’re batting .246 against right-handers, and they’re facing a starter who gave up seven runs in his last three home starts. The Cardinals average 4.62 runs per game. They’re batting .241 against left-handers, and they’re facing a starter who gave up 13 runs in his last three road starts. Expect these teams to score enough runs to push the score over the total. The Cardinals and Royals played over the total in their last three meetings.
Never Tried Winners and Whiners? Now Is Your Chance
- Get your first daily picks package for ONLY $1 using coupon code DOLLAR
- If the pick loses, we credit your account with 3 Flex Picks
- If the pick wins, we still give you 1 Flex Pick on the house
- Win or lose, you walk away ahead. One dollar. No catch.
- Check out more MLB predictions
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days
