MLB Prop Bets: St. Louis Cardinals vs Washington Nationals (September 18, 2026)
The Washington Nationals (71-82) face the St. Louis Cardinals (75-78) at Busch Stadium on Friday at 8:15pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Cade Cavalli is the probable pitcher for the Nationals, while Kyle Leahy is the probable pitcher for the Cardinals. The Cardinals are favored to win at -115, while the Nationals are at -105. The total runs line is set at 7.5, with OVER at -116 and UNDER at -104.
- The Nationals (+160) have an 86-67 Run Line record this season, while the Cardinals (-195) hold a record of 83-70.
- The Nationals have an 80-66-7 O/U record this season (meaning 80 games have gone over the total runs line, 66 have gone under and seven have resulted in a push). The Cardinals have a 71-76-6 O/U record.
Scoring Insights
- The Nationals are averaging 5.1 runs per game this season (3rd in the league). Comparatively, the Cardinals are averaging 4.5 (12th).
- In the field, the Nationals are allowing a whopping 5.1 runs per game this season (27th in the league), while the Cardinals are allowing an average of 4.6 runs (21st).
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 Nationals are at .247 (ranking 10th in the Major leagues), while the Cardinals are batting .242 (19th).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs this season, the Cardinals have hit 158 (T22nd in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Nationals have managed 200 (5th).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Nationals have recorded 737 RBIs to rank 3rd in the MLB this season. Comparatively, the Cardinals have recorded 671 RBIs to rank 9th.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Cardinals have an earned run average of 4.28 this season (21st in the Majors), while The Nationals have an ERA of 4.71 (27th).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Nationals have recorded 1197 this season, ranking 25th in the MLB. Meanwhile, the Cardinals rank 24th for total strikeouts, recording 1216.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents are batting an average of .254 against the Cardinals this season (26th in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Nationals' opponents are at .253 (24th).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 40-33-80 | 24-12-42 | 16-21-38 | 13-5-19 | 27-28-61 | 0-0-0 | 2-4-4 |
| Cardinals | 32-31-90 | 12-13-53 | 20-18-37 | 12-14-27 | 20-17-63 | 0-0-0 | 0-5-5 |
Lead After Three Innings
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2026.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | Last 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationals | 60-51-42 | 36-19-23 | 24-32-19 | 19-6-12 | 41-45-30 | 0-0-0 | 2-6-2 |
| Cardinals | 65-48-40 | 33-23-22 | 32-25-18 | 26-15-12 | 39-33-28 | 0-0-0 | 3-6-1 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -130 and the YRFI is paying +100.
- The NRFI is 77-76 in Nationals games this season. The Cardinals have an 80-73 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Cardinals recorded a 6-1 victory over the Nationals at Nationals Park when these teams last met on April 8. Alec Burleson went yard en route to that victory, hitting a home run to go with 3 RBIs.
