St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Picks and Predictions: July 18, 2026
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Sat Jul 18, 2026, 10:20 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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Saturday gives us baseball on our screens pretty much all day long, with games beginning at 1:10 p.m. eastern, with the latest start at 10:07 p.m. eastern tonight. However, I'll be looking at an afternoon game that is actually being played in New Hampshire, as the Arizona Diamondbacks take on the St. Louis Cardinals. Last night, the visitors won the ball game, 5-4, but that only tied up the regular season series at two games a piece. With two more to go in this series, who will find a way to win on Saturday afternoon? Find out with our picks below.
- MLB YTD
- 54-41-1 (56.3%)
- +12.31u
- Average Odds: +100
Check out the best odds on the market at our top online sportsbooks.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Betting Insights
Dustin May has been getting shelled recently. Will that happen again tonight away from home?
The Arizona Diamondbacks had won four straight games heading into the All Star Break, but they couldn't extend that when play resumed. After tying things up with two runs in the eighth inning, they gave up the winning run in the top of the ninth. But today they have Brandon Pfaadt on the mound, and he is going up against Dustin May, who I love to fade.
May severely struggles on the road, as his ERA jumps from 4.55 up to 5.94. His WHIP also increases from 1.26 to 1.41. Now, he hasn't seen this Arizona team yet, but I have a feeling he is going to struggle against them tonight. They hit .242 as a team yesterday coming out of the break, slightly better than their season average. I expect them to keep it up.
Matchup Information – Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks – July 18
- Venue & Location: Chase Field (Hanover, NH)
- Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
- First Pitch: 4:10 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: MLB.tv
Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks Pitching Matchup
- St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Dustin May (5-6, 4.55 ERA, 1.26 WHIP)
- Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Brandon Pfaadt (3-1, 4.70 ERA, 1.32 WHIP)
Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of our friends at Lucky Rebel Sportsbook, as of July 18, 2026, at 10:01 a.m. eastern. Sign up today and get a $1,250 deposit bonus as well as 50 slot spins immediately in your account and start betting at the sportsbook with the most competitive odds in the industry, and a wide variety of unique markets not offered anywhere else.
Run Line
- Cardinals +1.5 (-200)
- Diamondbacks -1.5 (+170)
Moneyline
- Cardinals +101
- Diamondbacks -121
Total
- Over 9 (+100)
- Under 9 (-120)
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Picks
Brandon Pfaadt has had a good season so far, and he makes his seventh start tonight for the Diamondbacks
Cardinals vs. Diamondbacks Prediction: Diamondbacks Win and Cover, Over 9
Best Bet: Diamondbacks ML (-121) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Now, our new BN Prediction Engine has Arizona has the right side in this matchup. However, the fair price listed is -115. At the current odds, we are technically losing some value, but I still believe this is a winner. But if you line shop, there is a -115 out there. Fade Dustin May at all costs.
I already talked about how his splits get worse when pitching away from home. In his last two road starts, May has allowed five earned runs on five hits and two walks in just 0.2 innings to the Braves, and six earned runs on six hits and a walk to the Royals in just two innings. For any of you math people out there, that is a 45.00 ERA. Not a 4.50, a 45.00. The dude is essentially giving up five runs per inning in his last two road starts. His WHIP is also at 6.36 during those outings as well.
Pfaadt has been more than serviceable, allowing less than three earned runs in his last 11 outings. He is making just his seventh start of the season, but recently he has been shoving and I see him continuing that against the Cardinals, even not playing at Chase Field.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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