St. Louis Cardinals defeat San Francisco Giants 2-1: Recap, Betting Results & AiQ Picks

Mon, Sep 14, 2026 · MLB · San Francisco Giants 1, St. Louis Cardinals 2

St. Louis Cardinals defeated San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Monday night at Busch Stadium, covering the -1.5 spread while the Giants stayed within the margin at +1.5. The combined three runs fell short of the 8-run total.

San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals final score and game recap

A low-scoring duel unfolded between Landen Roupp and Quinn Mathews, the respective starters for San Francisco and St. Louis. The Cardinals built a 2-0 lead by the end of the fifth inning, scoring both runs in that frame. San Francisco broke through in the sixth with a single run, but no further scoring followed in the seventh or eighth. St. Louis held on for the 2-1 victory.

Who covered the spread in San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals?

San Francisco Giants covered the +1.5 spread as the underdog, losing by one run while the Cardinals were favored at -1.5. The line remained unchanged from open to close.

Did San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals go over or under the total?

The game finished under the 8-run total by five runs. Scoring occurred only in the fifth inning (two runs for St. Louis) and the sixth inning (one run for San Francisco).

How did AiQ's San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals predictions do?

AiQ finished 1-2 across graded picks:

AiQ correctly identified the Cardinals as the moneyline winner but missed both the spread and total. The model's 59% confidence on the moneyline aligned with the outcome, while the 54% confidence on the over-8 total overestimated run production.

San Francisco Giants vs. St. Louis Cardinals odds: sportsbook value and line movement

The closing moneyline was San Francisco Giants +126 and St. Louis Cardinals -153, implying a 42% win probability for the Giants and 58% for the Cardinals after vigorish removal. The bookmaker's margin sat at 4.7%. AiQ's pre-game expected value calculation at -144 (best price at FanDuel) was negative-EV. The model liked the Cardinals to win but not at the -144 price.

San Francisco sits at 61-87 overall, 36-38 at home and 25-49 on the road. Against the spread in 114 games, the Giants are 61-53. In 115 games with a recorded total, they went over 54 times and finished under 53 times. They have lost four straight games.

St. Louis stands at 75-75, 37-38 at home and 38-37 away. Against the spread in 112 games, the Cardinals are 62-50. In 112 games with a recorded total, they went over 46 times and finished under 61 times. They have won two straight games.

What's next for San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals?

San Francisco travels to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers on Friday, September 18. St. Louis hosts the Washington Nationals the same day.