St Louis Cardinals vs Philadelphia Phillies Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/21/2026

Game Time: 6:40 pm ET, Friday, August 21, 2026

Venue:  Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA

Where to Watch:  MLB TV

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Cardinals +180, Phillies -220; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Cardinals +180, Phillies -220; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Cardinals +180, Phillies -220; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

St Louis Cardinals:  65-63 (3rd place, NL Central)

Philadelphia Phillies:  70-58 (2nd place, NL East)

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St Louis Cardinals:  6-4 last 10

Philadelphia Phillies:  8-2 last 10

The Cardinals are entering this series off a win and won their 5-game series against the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 in their last series. They enter this game with a 65-63 record overall and have a road record of 33-29. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Phillies on Friday. Their offense ranks 24th in the MLB with a .699 OPS. Michael McGreevy was their starting pitcher on Thursday while Hunter Dobbins is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 3-3 with a 3.42 ERA this season. His team lost 3 of their last 4 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season appearance, he allowed 2 ER, 1 HR, and 4 BB with 7 SO on 2 hits through 5 IP against the Chicago Cubs.

The Phillies are entering this series off a win and completed the sweep in their 3-game series against the Miami Marlins 3-0 in their last series. They enter this game with a 70-58 record overall and have a home record of 35-30. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Cardinals on Friday and they have Thursday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 19th in the MLB with a .713 OPS. Aaron Nola was their starting pitcher on Wednesday while Jesús Luzardo is making his start in this game on Friday. He is 11-5 with a 3.23 ERA this season. His team won their last 3 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 1 earned run, 0 homers, and 2 walks with 9 strikeouts on 7 hits through 6.2 innings pitched against the Minnesota Twins.

The current betting odds have the Phillies listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Phillies have looked really good in their games this season with their 70-58 record overall which has them right near the top of the NL East. They have looked good in their own ballpark too with their 35-30 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have looked good in their games this season with their 65-63 record overall which has them right in the middle of the NL Central. They have been a good road team too with their 33-29 road record this year. The Cardinals are 6-4 in their last 10 games and they have been getting hot lately, but the Phillies have been rolling. The Phillies are 8-2 in their last 10 games and they are going to have the better pitching matchup here. The Phillies are going with Luzardo in this one and he has looked great this season. He is 11-5 with a 3.23 ERA and he hasn't been giving up many runs all year. He is coming off another great start giving up 1 earned run which has been a common theme for him and the team has been having a lot of success with him too, winning 3 games in a row now with him starting. The Cardinals are going with Dobbins in this one and he has looked good this season too. He is 3-3 with a 3.42 ERA, but the team hasn't been having a lot of success with him. He only gave up 2 earned runs in his last start, but the team has lost 3 of their last 4 games with him starting. The Cardinals have been putting up a ton of runs lately, but that hasn't been the case all season and lately they have been giving up a ton of runs too. The Phillies have a big edge in this one with Luzardo starting, but the Cardinals bullpen will also be an issue. The best way to place a bet here is on the Phillies to win this game and on the runline. 

Cardinals Phillies Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Friday, August 21, 2026 (6:40 pm ET start time) is Phillies 5 Cardinals 2.

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St Louis Cardinals: 71-58 (+14.3 units) on the moneyline against left-handed starters. 60-54 (+20.4 units) on the moneyline when playing against a good team (Win Pct. 54% to 62%). 64-62 (+11.7 units) on the moneyline vs. an NL starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.250 or better. 17-5 UNDER against NL East opponents.

Philadelphia Phillies: 43-44 (-11.8 units) on the moneyline against NL Central opponents. 117-108 (-9 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a winning record. 146-117 (-12.8 units) on the moneyline after a win. 49-31 UNDER against NL Central opponents.

St Louis Cardinals:  M. Rajcic (SP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. R. Urias (3B) Sixty Day IL - Elbow.

Philadelphia Phillies:  C. Kilian (RP) Fifteen Day IL - Oblique. T. Banks (RP) Sixty Day IL - Forearm. R. Marchan (C) Ten Day IL - Knee. B. Keller (RP) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. J. Rojas (CF) Sixty Day IL - Elbow. A. Garcia (RF) Sixty Day IL - Lat.

“I mean, you look at the bunts. The one down the first-base line was well executed. You’re not going to make a play there at home. Both of them go to the ball, and it’s a well-executed bunt. The other one -- Blaze has done a really nice job at third. So, it looks like the game is [won or lost] in that inning, but it’s just baseball sometimes.” - Oliver Marmol after his team’s loss against the Reds in their game on Wednesday.

“Every time you get a good outing it’s obviously huge for the rotation and huge for the club.” - Don Mattingly after his team’s win against the Marlins in their game on Wednesday.

JJ Wetherholt (L) SS

Iván Herrera (R) DH

Alec Burleson (L) 1B

Jordan Walker (R) RF

Joshua Báez (R) LF

Nathan Church (L) CF

Bryan Torres (L) 2B

Blaze Jordan (R) 3B

Jimmy Crooks (L) C

Kyle Schwarber (L) DH

Trea Turner (R) SS

Bryce Harper (L) RF

Luis Arraez (L) 2B

Alec Bohm (R) 1B

Bryson Stott (L) 3B

Brandon Marsh (L) LF

Justin Crawford (L) CF

Garrett Stubbs (L) C

Batting Average:  Jordan Walker (.289)

Hits:  Alec Burleson (140)

Home Runs:  Jordan Walker (26)

RBI:  Jordan Walker (94)

Stolen Bases:  Jordan Walker (17)

Wins:  Andre Pallante (12)

Saves:  Riley O'Brien (32)

ERA:  Ryan Fernandez (2.70)

Batting Average:  Bryan De La Cruz (.333)

Hits:  Trea Turner (125)

Home Runs:  Kyle Schwarber (37)

RBI:  Kyle Schwarber (74)

Stolen Bases:  Bryson Stott (23)

Wins:  Cristopher Sánchez (16)

Saves:  Jhoan Duran (28)

ERA:  Bryse Wilson (0.00)

Managers:

St Louis Cardinals: Oliver Marmol (5th season)

Philadelphia Phillies: Don Mattingly (Interim)