The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Kansas City Royals. Our MLB odds series has our Cardinals Royals prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Cardinals Royals.

The St. Louis Cardinals are not going to make the playoffs. They are probably not going to even reach the .500 mark, which is unheard of for an organization which has been extremely consistent over a longer period of time. The Cardinals, since the start of the 21st century, have had only one losing season, in 2007. Every other year since the turn of the century, they have had a winning record. They have reached the playoffs in 16 of the past 23 seasons. The 2023 season is entirely out of step with this organization's past quarter-century of results.

Yet, for all the ways the Cardinals have been a total embarrassment this year, and as deeply as this team has disappointed in the 2023 MLB season, it is still talented. It still has Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. It still has Tyler O'Neill and Dylan Carlson and a lot of quality pieces which should make St. Louis a contender next year … if the Cardinals get enough pitching.

We saw on Thursday what happens when the Cardinals get pitching. Matthew Liberatore dominated the Tampa Bay Rays in eight innings of two-hit ball. St. Louis won the three-game series against the Rays and reminded everyone how much talent this team still has. Now the Cardinals face their in-state rival, the Kansas City Royals, who are trying to build momentum of their own heading into the offseason and 2024.

Here are the Cardinals-Royals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Cardinals-Royals Odds

St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+120)

Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-144)

Over: 11 (-115)

Under: 11 (-105)

How To Watch Cardinals vs. Royals

TV: Bally Sports Midwest (Cardinals) / Bally Sports Kansas City (Royals) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 8:10 p.m. ET/5:10 p.m. PT

*Watch Cardinals-Royals LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread

The Cardinals showed against the Rays what they are capable of. Timely hitting and solid pitching enabled them to beat a very good Tampa Bay team which is a legitimate World Series contender. The Cardinals have better, more mature veteran talent compared to the youthful Royals, who are a staggering 43 games under .500 and are almost certain to lose at least 100 games this season.

The Royals are starting with a bullpen opener. Dylan Coleman has an ERA of just over 10 runs in nearly 15 innings of work this season. He has made 17 appearances in 2023 and has averaged less than one full inning per appearance. The Cardinals have a really good chance of scoring early and getting the jump on the Royals.

Why The Royals Could Cover The Spread

The Royals will face St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, who has had a disastrous final season in the major leagues after making the decision to come back for 2023 instead of hanging up his spikes. Wainwright has not been the same without his longtime catcher, future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina. It has been harder for Wainwright to handle this season without Yadi. Keep in mind that the changed rules regarding the pitch clock have added a layer of difficulty and disruption to Wainwright's routine. He really needed Yadi for this year, but Yadi retired to await the call from Cooperstown.

The Royals have lost their last two games, but over the past two weeks, they have been better. They produced a seven-game winning streak not that long ago, and their young players are showing signs of real growth. They can hammer Wainwright in a game where runs are expected to be abundant.

Final Cardinals-Royals Prediction & Pick

This is a game you should stay away from, given how unreliable the pitchers are. Maybe look for a live-betting play.

Final Cardinals-Royals Prediction & Pick: Royals +1.5