The Cincinnati Reds roll into Busch Stadium for game 2 riding a three-game winning streak, and they hand the ball to one of the most electric arms in baseball. This middle game of the NL Central series pits Reds right-hander Hunter Greene against Cardinals starter Andre Pallante, with St. Louis installed as the narrowest of home favorites at -115 on the moneyline. That price signals close to a coin flip. Our read leans toward the visitors and a quieter scoreboard than the public expects, and the breakdown below explains why.
Last Updated: Saturday, July 25, 2026
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO |
| When | Saturday, July 25, 2026 – 7:15 PM ET |
| TV | Cardinals.TV, Reds.TV (local); stream on Fubo, MLB.TV |
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
The pitching matchup sets the tone. Greene is the higher-ceiling arm, but he carries real uncertainty. He is back from March elbow surgery and did not debut until July 4, so his season line spans just three starts. The 6.06 ERA is skewed by one rough return outing. He owns 26 strikeouts in 16.1 innings and a 1.16 WHIP, including a 12-strikeout shutout against the Cubs. The swing-and-miss stuff is elite. The catch is a short leash as the Reds manage his workload.
Pallante offers a different profile. The Cardinals right-hander is 10-6 with a 4.02 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and 75 strikeouts across 105.1 innings. He is a durable, contact-oriented arm who keeps the ball on the ground and works into the middle innings. He does not miss many bats, though, and that 1.26 WHIP means traffic on the bases. His full profile sits on Andre Pallante‘s reference page.
Form cuts against the home side. Cincinnati sits 48-54 and fifth in the NL Central, but the Reds are 6-4 over their last 10 and took the opener 4-2, when they held the Cardinals to two hits. St. Louis is 52-51 but ice cold, going 3-7 in its last 10 while hitting just .204. The Cardinals are also without reliever JoJo Romero, and the Reds are shorthanded in their rotation with Nick Lodolo hurt. Both lineups have holes, but only one is slumping now.
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals Odds
| Run Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reds | +1.5 (-210) | -105 | U 8.5 (-115) |
| Cardinals | -1.5 (+175) | -115 | O 8.5 (-105) |
Odds accurate as of Saturday, July 25, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest MLB Odds – Futures – Props
Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Reds | 30% | 70% | Cardinals |
See the latest MLB Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Reds vs. Cardinals Prediction — Does the Hot Road Team Have the Edge?
The load-bearing signal is the gap in current form. The Cardinals offense is stuck in a deep rut, hitting .204 across the last 10 games and managing only two hits in Friday’s loss. The Reds, by contrast, are swinging the bats well and just beat St. Louis on its own field. When a slumping home club is priced as a favorite over a hotter opponent, the road side often carries value.
The price is the other half of the case. Cincinnati sits near a pick’em, a level that undersells a team with the more dangerous starter and the better recent results. Even a short outing of five innings of one-run ball can be enough to steal a game against a cold lineup. The moneyline has also drifted slightly toward the visitors even as the public loads up on St. Louis, a quiet nod from the market toward the road team.
The counter-case is real. Greene’s strict pitch count could expose the Reds bullpen early, and Pallante has been steady at home while eating innings. A cold lineup is also a lineup due to break out, and one swing at Busch can flip a tight game. Still, the slump, the momentum, and the fair price together point to the visitors.
The Pick: Reds Moneyline (-105)
Reds vs. Cardinals Prediction — Will the Cardinals Bats Stay Cold?
The total picture starts with the St. Louis offense, and it is hard to trust right now. The Cardinals were shut down to two hits in the opener during a 3-7 skid. Pallante keeps the ball on the ground into the middle innings, and Busch Stadium plays as a roughly neutral run environment, not a launching pad. The market has nudged the juice toward the under, from an even -110 open to -115 now.
The over case keeps this a lean rather than a strong play. Greene’s short leash means the Reds bullpen enters early, and Cincinnati’s bats are hot enough to push a number on their own. If St. Louis wakes up at home, 8.5 clears in a hurry. Even so, with one lineup slumping badly and a ground-ball starter working, the lower-scoring path is more likely.
The Pick: Under 8.5 (-115)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
The two factors to watch are Greene’s pitch count and whether the Cardinals finally snap out of their offensive funk. If Greene works into the sixth, both the Reds moneyline and the under strengthen at once. If he exits early, the bullpen picture opens the door for St. Louis and lifts the run total. It is worth tracking how the Cardinals manage a relief corps already down a key arm, a theme from our series-opener preview of the Cardinals’ struggles.
To recap the card, the top play is the Reds Moneyline (-105), a value read on the hotter team at a near pick’em price. The supporting lean is Under 8.5 (-115), backed by the Cardinals’ cold bats and a ground-ball starter in a neutral park. Both plays rest on the same theme: a slumping St. Louis lineup against a hot Cincinnati club.
MLB Reds vs. Cardinals FAQ: Saturday July 25, 2026
What time does the Reds vs. Cardinals game start?
First pitch for the Cincinnati Reds at St. Louis Cardinals game is scheduled for 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. It is the middle game of a three-game weekend series.
What channel is the Reds vs. Cardinals game on?
The game airs on the teams’ local broadcasts, Cardinals.TV in St. Louis and Reds.TV in Cincinnati, with no national television window. Out-of-market fans can stream it on Fubo or MLB.TV, subject to local blackout rules.
Who is pitching in the Reds vs. Cardinals game?
Cincinnati sends right-hander Hunter Greene to the mound against Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante. Greene is 2-1 with a 6.06 ERA in three starts since returning from elbow surgery, while Pallante is 10-6 with a 4.02 ERA across 105.1 innings this season.
Who won the last meeting between the Reds and Cardinals?
The Reds won the series opener 4-2 on Friday, July 24, 2026, holding the Cardinals to just two hits. Eugenio Suarez homered late and Rhett Lowder pitched well, and Cincinnati has now won three games in a row.
Where are the Reds and Cardinals playing today?
The Reds and Cardinals are playing at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the Cardinals. St. Louis hosts all three games of the series, which runs Friday, July 24 through Sunday, July 26, 2026.