The St. Louis Cardinals vs. Houston Astros game is set for a first pitch at 8:10 p.m. ET on Friday, April 17, with Houston entering as a 1.69x payout to win, via PrizePicks.
The Astros grabbed two out of three from the Rockies to rebound from a horrendous road trip. Meanwhile, the Cardinals seek their third consecutive victory following a home series win over the Guardians.
Below, we'll break down our Cardinals vs. Astros prediction and picks for Friday's MLB game, including the winner, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.
Make your picks for Cardinals vs. Astros on PrizePicks now.
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Cardinals vs. Astros Prediction, Winner Payout, Over/Under – Friday, April 17
St. Louis (10-8) has played only six games away from Busch Stadium, going 3-3. The Cardinals failed to win each of their two road series openers at Detroit and Washington, being outscored 13-6.
The Astros returned home on Tuesday from an eight-game losing streak and picked up a pair of victories over the Rockies. Houston built an early 2-0 advantage over Colorado on Wednesday, but the Rockies rallied for a 3-2 win.
In 12 games as a favorite, the Astros have a concerning 5-7 record. The Cardinals are 6-7 in the underdog role, with only one win coming on the road at Detroit on April 5.
St. Louis grabbed two of three matchups from Houston last season at home while limiting Houston to 6 runs.
Cardinals vs. Astros Winner Payout, Over/Under – Friday, April 17
The Astros enter Friday’s game as a 1.66x payout against the Cardinals, returning a 2.12x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
Here are the full payouts for the Cardinals vs. Astros game on PrizePicks.
- Spread: Astros -1.5 (2.38x payout)
- Over/Under: 8.5 (1.69x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Cardinals - 2.08x | Astros - 1.69x
Play the Cardinals vs. Astros winner or over/under on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money — available in 35 states!
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Cardinals vs. Astros Prediction on Winner – 4/17/26
Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Cardinals vs. Astros prediction on the winner for Friday, April 17.
Lock in your Cardinals vs. Astros prediction on PrizePicks before the line moves.
- The Cardinals have gotten off to slow starts recently, scoring 1 or fewer runs in the first five innings of five consecutive games.
- The Astros allowed 4 or fewer runs in five of their last six home games. For context, Houston has yielded more than 5 runs in nine of 10 road outings.
- Houston turns to right-hander SP Peter Lambert for his first start of the season. Lambert allowed 3 earned runs and 11 hits in nearly 15 innings of Triple-A before his call-up.
- The Cardinals are 1-3 following consecutive victories this season, and they dropped four of their last five series openers.
- Houston is tied for second with Atlanta in wOBA (.352) and tied for third in xBA (.264).
- After allowing the third-highest xBA last season (.256), St. Louis’ pitching staff has given up a .286 xBA this season (last).
Cardinals vs. Astros Player Picks, Stats for PrizePicks: 4/17/26
Here are the top Cardinals vs. Astros picks to target on PrizePicks for Friday, April 17. Today’s MLB picks for PrizePicks include Kyle Leahy and Jose Altuve.
Cardinals SP Kyle Leahy vs. Astros Projection: 4 Strikeouts
- Leahy recorded only 7 strikeouts over three appearances, reaching 4 Ks in one start against Detroit on April 5.
- The St. Louis pitching staff owns the worst K rate in MLB at 15.4%, including a putrid 10.9% mark for Leahy.
- The Astros have struck out 84 times against opposing starting pitchers, the 11th-lowest mark in MLB.
- Leahy hasn’t recorded a strikeout on a four-seam fastball this season, while opponents are hitting .462 against that pitch.
Add Kyle Leahy to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
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Astros 2B Jose Altuve vs. Cardinals Projection: 6.5 Hitter Fantasy Score
- Altuve broke out of a 1-for-9 slump, picking up a pair of hits in Thursday’s loss to Colorado.
- The veteran compiled a 12-point hitter fantasy score on Thursday, which was his second time surpassing 7 points over his last six games.
- Altuve has rebounded from a tough offensive campaign in 2025 to own a .269 xBA and .353 xwOBA through the first 19 games.
- In the last nine games, Altuve has walked only twice after walking 12 times in the first 10 contests.
Add Jose Altuve to your PrizePicks Lineup now.
Make Cardinals vs. Astros Picks on PrizePicks
Houston has played better at home this season, owning a 7-3 mark. Will the Astros slow down the Cardinals in the opener of their three-game interleague set tonight?
Don’t wait until lock — make your Cardinals vs. Astros picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
Pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on game winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
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