MLB Prop Bets: Houston Astros vs St. Louis Cardinals (April 18, 2026)
The St. Louis Cardinals (11-8) face the Houston Astros (8-13) at Daikin Park on Saturday at 7:10pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Andre Pallante is the probable pitcher for the Cardinals, while Lance McCullers Jr. is the probable pitcher for the Astros. The Astros are favored to win at -156, while the Cardinals are at +129. The total runs line is set at 9.0, with OVER at -105 and UNDER at -115.
- The Cardinals have an 11-8-0 O/U record this season (meaning 11 games have gone over the total runs line and eight have gone under). The Astros have a 14-7-0 O/U record.
Scoring Insights
- The Cardinals are averaging 4.7 runs per game this season (11th in the league). Comparatively, the Astros are averaging 5.3 (6th).
- In the field, the Cardinals are allowing a whopping 5.3 runs per game this season (27th in the league), while the Astros are allowing an average of 6.0 runs (29th).
Let's take a look at how these teams perform in some other key statistical areas.
Batting Insights:
Batting Average
- Looking at their batting averages this season, the Cardinals are at .233 (ranking 18th in the Major leagues), while the Astros are batting .262 (3rd).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs this season, the Astros have hit 24 (6th in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Cardinals have managed 22 (T8th).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Cardinals have recorded 88 RBIs to rank 11th in the MLB this season. Comparatively, the Astros have recorded 103 RBIs to rank 4th.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Astros have an earned run average of 6.15 this season (30th in the Majors), while The Cardinals have an ERA of 4.89 (27th).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Astros have recorded an impressive 198 this season, ranking 3rd in the MLB. Contrastingly, the Cardinals rank 30th for total strikeouts, recording only 121.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents are batting an average of .267 against the Astros this season (28th in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Cardinals' opponents are at .262 (27th).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 3-4-12 | 1-2-9 | 2-2-3 | 0-2-1 | 3-2-11 | 0-0-0 | 2-3-5 |
| Astros | 7-7-7 | 5-2-4 | 2-5-3 | 4-3-7 | 3-4-0 | 0-0-0 | 2-7-1 |
Lead After Three Innings
The Cardinals are +110 to lead after three innings, while the Astros are -140.
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 6-5-8 | 4-2-6 | 2-3-2 | 1-1-1 | 5-4-7 | 0-0-0 | 3-2-5 |
| Astros | 8-7-6 | 5-3-3 | 3-4-3 | 5-5-4 | 3-2-2 | 0-0-0 | 4-4-2 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -105 and the YRFI is paying -125.
- The NRFI is 9-10 in Cardinals games this season. The Astros have a 6-15 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Cardinals recorded a 9-4 victory over the Astros at Daikin Park yesterday. Ivan Herrera was unstoppable in that matchup, hitting a home run, a single and recording 3 RBIs.
