Cardinals vs. Royals Prediction, Odds, Picks - May 18

Bobby Witt Jr. and the Kansas City Royals hit the field on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium against Matthew Liberatore, who is starting for the St. Louis Cardinals. First pitch is at 2:10 p.m. ET for the final game of a three-game series. The Cardinals are the favorite in this one, at -114, while the underdog Royals have -105 odds to win. St. Louis (-1.5) is the favorite on the run line. An 8-run over/under is listed in this matchup.

Take a look at everything you need to know from a betting perspective on the Cardinals-Royals game, regarding the run line, moneyline and total, plus expert picks.

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Cardinals vs. Royals Highlights | MLB on FOX

Check out the best highlights between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals.

Cardinals vs. Royals Game Information & Odds

• When: Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
• How to watch on TV: FDSKC and FDSMW

Cardinals vs. Royals Prediction

• Score Prediction: Cardinals 5, Royals 4
• Total Prediction: Under 8 runs
• Win Probabilities: Cardinals 51%, Royals 49%

Cardinals vs. Royals Betting Insights

• This season, the Cardinals have won eight out of the 14 games, or 57.1%, in which they've been favored.
• St. Louis has entered 10 games this season favored by -114 or more and is 6-4 in those contests.
• The implied probability of a win from the Cardinals, based on the moneyline, is 53.3%.
• The Royals have won in 12, or 46.2%, of the 26 contests they have been named as odds-on underdogs this year.
• This season, Kansas City has come away with a win nine times in 22 chances when named as an underdog of at least -105 or worse on the moneyline.
• The Royals have an implied victory probability of 51.2% according to the moneyline set for this matchup.

Cardinals Recent Betting Performance

• The Cardinals won each of the three games it played while the moneyline favorite in their last 10 matchups.
• Over their last 10 outings (all 10 of them had set totals), the Cardinals and their opponents combined to hit the over three times.
• The Cardinals have put together a 9-1-0 record against the spread over their past 10 games.

Cardinals Recent Stats

Cardinals Player Insights

• Lars Nootbaar's seven homers in 2025 are the most on the Cardinals. He's also knocked in 24 runs while hitting .254.
• In all of the majors, Nootbaar ranks 55th in homers and 53rd in RBI.
• Brendan Donovan's .316 batting average is a team-high mark.
• Donovan is 169th in homers in the majors, and 82nd in RBI.
• Nolan Arenado is batting .242 with 10 doubles, four home runs and 17 walks.
• Willson Contreras' 26 runs batted in are a team-high mark.

Cardinals Team Props

Royals Recent Betting Performance

• In four games as underdogs over the last 10 matchups, the Royals have a record of 2-2.
• In their last 10 games with a total, the Royals and their opponents have failed to hit the over six times.
• Over their last 10 games, the Royals are 6-4-0 against the spread.

Royals Recent Stats

Royals Player Insights

• Witt leads the team in batting average with a mark of .309.
• Among all hitters in the majors, Witt's home run total ranks 104th and his RBI tally ranks 46th.
• Maikel Garcia is batting .301 with 13 doubles, a triple, five home runs and 18 walks.
• Garcia is 104th overall in homers and 105th in RBI this season.
• Vinnie Pasquantino has been solid source of run production for the Royals with seven long balls and 26 runs batted in.
• Jonathan India is batting .238 with nine doubles, a home run and 21 walks.

Royals Team Props

Cardinals vs. Royals Highlights | MLB on FOX

Check out the best highlights between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals.

FOX Sports created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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