MLB Prop Bets: Kansas City Royals vs St. Louis Cardinals (June 18, 2026)
The St. Louis Cardinals (40-32) face the Kansas City Royals (30-45) at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday at 7:40pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Matthew Liberatore is the probable pitcher for the Cardinals, while Noah Cameron is the probable pitcher for the Royals. The Royals are favored to win at -120, while the Cardinals are at -101. The total runs line is set at 9.0, with OVER at +100 and UNDER at -121.
- The Cardinals (+164) have a 45-27 Run Line record this season, while the Royals (-201) hold a record of 33-42.
- The Cardinals have a 31-38-3 O/U record this season (meaning 31 games have gone over the total runs line, 38 have gone under and three have resulted in a push). The Royals have a 34-39-2 O/U record.
Scoring Insights
- The Cardinals are averaging 4.5 runs per game this season (13th in the league). Comparatively, the Royals are averaging only 4.0 (26th).
- In the field, the Cardinals are allowing 4.4 runs per game this season (15th in the league), while the Royals are allowing an average of 4.7 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 Cardinals are at .245 (ranking 13th in the Major leagues), while the Royals are batting .244 (15th).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs this season, the Royals have hit 69 (24th in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Cardinals have managed 83 (T16th).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Cardinals have recorded 315 RBIs to rank 15th in the MLB this season. Comparatively, the Royals have recorded 290 RBIs to rank 23rd.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Royals have an earned run average of 4.48 this season (21st in the Majors), while The Cardinals have an ERA of 4.08 (14th).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Cardinals have recorded 558 this season, ranking 28th in the MLB. Meanwhile, the Royals rank T20th for total strikeouts, recording 589.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents are batting an average of .251 against the Royals this season (21st in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Cardinals' opponents are at .252 (23rd).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 12-14-46 | 5-7-26 | 7-7-20 | 4-5-9 | 8-9-37 | 0-0-0 | 2-2-6 |
| Royals | 15-18-42 | 6-9-23 | 9-9-19 | 5-8-21 | 10-10-21 | 0-0-0 | 2-2-6 |
Lead After Three Innings
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 30-19-23 | 15-10-13 | 15-9-10 | 8-5-5 | 22-14-18 | 0-0-0 | 6-2-2 |
| Royals | 24-37-14 | 13-17-8 | 11-20-6 | 9-19-6 | 15-18-8 | 0-0-0 | 4-6-0 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -105 and the YRFI is paying -120.
- The NRFI is 39-33 in Cardinals games this season. The Royals have a 39-36 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Royals recorded a 2-0 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium when these teams last met on May 17. Salvador Perez was unstoppable in that matchup, hitting a home run, a single and recording 2 RBIs.
