MLB Prop Bets: St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals (May 16, 2026)
The Kansas City Royals (19-26) face the St. Louis Cardinals (26-18) at Busch Stadium on Saturday at 2:15pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Noah Cameron is the probable pitcher for the Royals, while Kyle Leahy is the probable pitcher for the Cardinals. The Cardinals are favored to win at -122, while the Royals are at +101. The total runs line is set at 9.0, with OVER at -109 and UNDER at -111.
- The Royals (+155) have a 20-25 Run Line record this season, while the Cardinals (-189) hold a record of 29-15.
- The Royals have a 21-22-2 O/U record this season (meaning 21 games have gone over the total runs line, 22 have gone under and two have resulted in a push). The Cardinals have a 20-22-2 O/U record.
Scoring Insights
- The Royals are averaging 4.1 runs per game this season (24th in the league). Comparatively, the Cardinals are averaging +0.5 more at 4.6 runs (9th).
- In the field, the Royals are allowing 4.6 runs per game this season (20th in the league), while the Cardinals are allowing an average of 4.6 runs (19th).
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 Royals are at .239 (ranking 16th in the Major leagues), while the Cardinals are batting .242 (12th).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs this season, the Cardinals have hit 51 (12th in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Royals have managed 44 (T16th).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Royals have recorded 178 RBIs to rank 21st in the MLB this season. Comparatively, the Cardinals have recorded 198 RBIs to rank T9th.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Cardinals have an earned run average of 4.24 this season (17th in the Majors), while The Royals have an ERA of 4.38 (22nd).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Royals have recorded 384 this season, ranking 13th in the MLB. Meanwhile, the Cardinals rank 29th for total strikeouts, recording 319.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents are batting an average of .252 against the Cardinals this season (23rd in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Royals' opponents are at .240 (14th).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | 6-10-29 | 3-5-15 | 3-5-14 | 3-6-17 | 3-4-12 | 0-0-0 | 3-2-5 |
| Cardinals | 7-8-29 | 2-3-16 | 5-5-13 | 0-2-1 | 7-6-28 | 0-0-0 | 1-3-6 |
Lead After Three Innings
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royals | 14-21-10 | 9-9-5 | 5-12-5 | 7-14-5 | 7-7-5 | 0-0-0 | 4-4-2 |
| Cardinals | 17-13-14 | 9-5-7 | 8-8-7 | 1-1-1 | 16-12-13 | 0-0-0 | 2-3-5 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -115 and the YRFI is paying -115.
- The NRFI is 28-17 in Royals games this season. The Cardinals have a 24-20 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Cardinals recorded a 5-4 extra innings victory over the Royals at Busch Stadium yesterday. Jordan Walker dominated at the plate in that matchup, notching 1 home run, 2 singles and 2 RBIs.
