St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers Picks and Predictions for Sunday April 5, 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 04/05/2026, 02:30 AM ET
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The St. Louis Cardinals visit the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday, April 5, 2026. First pitch is scheduled for 7:20 PM, and the game will be carried on Peacock. St. Louis is listed at +119 on the moneyline, while Detroit is favored at -143. The total is set at 8, with the over priced at -104 and the under at -115. On the run line, the Cardinals are +1.5 at -181 and the Tigers are -1.5 at +149. For more betting angles on this matchup, readers should also check out free MLB picks.

Starting Pitchers for the Series Finale

Kyle Leahy is scheduled to start for St. Louis and enters with an 0-1 record, a 7.20 ERA, and a 2.00 WHIP over 5.0 innings. He allowed eight hits, struck out one, walked two, and did not allow a home run. Keider Montero is the listed starter for Detroit, but no pitching stats were provided for him in the data for this matchup.

St. Louis Searches for Answers on the Road

The Cardinals come into this game at 4-4 overall and 0-2 on the road. Over their last five games, St. Louis recently lost to Detroit twice and the Mets once, while recently winning over the Mets twice. The first two games of this series have clearly tilted toward Detroit, and the Cardinals now need a better effort away from home.

St. Louis is batting .220 with 29 runs, 52 hits, and seven home runs. The Cardinals have a .278 on-base percentage and a .347 slugging percentage. On the mound, they own a 4.29 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP, while opponents are batting .270 against them. The staff has also recorded 39 strikeouts and 28 walks.

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The biggest weakness for St. Louis is the pitching profile. A 4.29 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and .270 opponent batting average show that opposing lineups have found consistent success. The limited strikeout total of 39 also suggests the staff has not missed many bats.

Detroit Aims to Complete the Home Sweep

Detroit enters this contest at 4-4 overall and 2-0 at home. Over the last five games, the Tigers recently won over St. Louis twice, while recently losing to Arizona three times before this series. Even with those three losses, the two home wins over the Cardinals have shifted the tone of the week.

Detroit is hitting .228 with 28 runs, 53 hits, and two home runs. The Tigers carry a .306 on-base percentage and a .323 slugging percentage. Their pitching has been better than St. Louis so far, posting a 3.20 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .222 batting average. The staff has also recorded 52 strikeouts and 24 walks.

Detroit’s biggest strength is its team pitching. The Tigers have the lower ERA, lower WHIP, and lower opponent batting average in this matchup, and those numbers have helped them win the first two games of the series. Even without a lot of home-run power, that run prevention has kept them in control.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers Picks and Prediction

St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers Pick

Pick: Detroit Tigers Moneyline

Detroit is the side to back here because the Tigers have already won the first two games of the series and have stronger overall pitching numbers. St. Louis has struggled on the road and has allowed opponents to hit .270, while Detroit has limited opponents to a .222 batting average and posted a 3.20 ERA. Those team differences point toward the Tigers having the better chance to finish off the home sweep.

St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers Total Pick

Pick: Under 8

I like the under in this game because Detroit has leaned on its pitching to win the first two games of the series, and St. Louis has not been especially sharp offensively on the road. The Tigers have allowed just a .222 opponent batting average and only two home runs as a team offensively, which also suggests a game that may not explode into a high-scoring matchup. With the number sitting at 8, the under is where I would look.

Final Score Prediction: Detroit Tigers 4 – St. Louis Cardinals 3

This prediction was written before the completion of game play on Saturday.

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