St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds Picks and Prediction for Sunday, May 24, 2026

By: Jake Allman Published 05/24/2026, 01:00 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds meet Sunday at Great American Ball Park in an NL Central matchup set for 1:40 PM ET on MLB.TV. St. Louis comes in at 28-21 overall and 15-8 on the road, while Cincinnati is 26-24 overall and 13-11 at home. The matchup is tight on paper, with ESPN Analytics giving the Reds a slight 51.1% edge. Elevate your MLB game with our top-notch MLB picks.

Cardinals Preview

St. Louis has dropped three of its last five games, including two straight losses to Pittsburgh by scores of 6-2 and 7-0. The Cardinals still have the better overall record, but the recent offense has been uneven. St. Louis is hitting .240 with a .320 OBP, .389 SLG, 56 home runs, and 219 runs. Jordan Walker is the clear leader in this lineup with 13 home runs, a .295 average, and 35 RBI.

Matthew Liberatore gets the ball for St. Louis, and his numbers are shaky enough to make this a tough road spot. He is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA and 1.55 WHIP across 51.2 innings. He has allowed 60 hits, 20 walks, and 9 home runs while striking out 43. St. Louis also enters with a 4.24 team ERA and 1.38 WHIP, so the Cardinals need cleaner pitching than recent form suggests.

Reds Preview

Cincinnati has won two straight games, both on the road against Philadelphia, after dropping three in a row before that. The Reds are hitting .229 with a .312 OBP, .394 SLG, 63 home runs, and 221 runs. Elly De La Cruz leads the club with a .290 average, .356 OBP, and .525 SLG, while Sal Stewart has supplied 12 home runs and 34 RBI. Cincinnati has more home run power than St. Louis, and that matters at Great American Ball Park.

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Brady Singer starts for Cincinnati, and the Reds are not getting a clean pitching edge here. Singer is 2-4 with a 6.26 ERA and 1.70 WHIP over 46 innings, allowing 66 hits and 14 home runs. Still, Cincinnati’s lineup has the better power profile, the recent results are stronger, and the Reds are at home in a park that can punish both starters. Cincinnati wins a close one because the Reds have more extra-base potential and should pressure Liberatore early.

Reds vs Cardinals Prediction

The pick is Cincinnati on the moneyline if the price is reasonable. The best bet is Reds moneyline, with a lean to the over if a playable total is posted. Final score prediction: Reds 6, Cardinals 5.

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