Prediction: Kansas City Royals VS St. Louis Cardinals 2025-06-05

The battle for Missouri supremacy is on. The Kansas City Royals are set to take on the St. Louis Cardinals in a cross-state showdown at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have been on fire, winning nine of their last 12 games, and their offense has been clicking at home, averaging 4.85 runs-per-game. Brendan Donovan is hitting a scorching .361 against righties, while Lars Nootbaar is raking at home with a .309 average.

The Cardinals' defense is also top-notch, with Scott patrolling center field and Masyn Winn flashing the leather at shortstop. On the mound, Andre Pallante has been inducing grounders at an impressive 63.6% clip, and Miles Mikolas had a 1.34 ERA in his six starts prior to his last outing. The Cardinals' bullpen has been solid, with Ryan Helsley converting nine saves in a row since April.

As for the Royals, they're coming off a 10-7 win in the series opener, thanks in part to the major league debut of top prospect Jac Caglianone. However, they'll need to bring their A-game to take down the Cardinals.

The odds are:

Cardinals: -1.5 (+2.55), Moneyline: 1.76
Royals: +1.5 (-1.53), Moneyline: 2.12
* Over/Under: 8.5 (Over: 2.0, Under: 1.83)

My best bet for this game is the Cardinals -1.5 (+2.55). The Cardinals' offense has been too hot, and their defense is too solid. I expect them to take care of business at home and cover the spread. Take the Cardinals -1.5 and watch them show the Royals who's boss in the Show-Me State.

More archived MLB predictions

Original social copy