Adrian Houser Shows Improvement Against Giants, Rays Face Crucial Matchup Against Cardinals' Miles Mikolas

The upcoming game on Friday, August 22, during the 2025 Major League Baseball season features the St. Louis Cardinals facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. This interleague battle is part of a three-game series, with the opening contest not included in the analysis. The preview, published before Thursday's results, offers insight into the Cardinals vs. Rays prediction. The game is scheduled to start at 7:35 PM ET, with the Rays favored at -134 on the moneyline and a total of 9.0 runs expected. For more MLB picks for Friday's games, be sure to check out the full preview.

Betting Odds

Moneyline: Cardinals +116 | Rays -131
Spread: Cardinals +1.5 (-180) | Rays -1.5 (+155)
Total: Over/Under 9 (-110)
Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Tampa Bay will win straight-up is 57%.

St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals recently completed a three-game series in Miami, where they won two out of three games against the Marlins. This comes after consecutive series losses to the Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees. Overall, the Cardinals have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games, scoring 43 runs with a .238/.295/.357 triple-slash. The bullpen has performed well during this stretch with a 3.18 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a .195 batting average against. Miles Mikolas will be starting in Tampa on Friday night, where he will look to improve his 6-9 record with a 4.99 ERA and 1.30 WHIP this season. Mikolas has struggled against the Rays in the past, going 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts, but hasn't faced them since 2023. The current Rays lineup has had success against Mikolas, hitting 18-for-63 with three doubles, a triple, and two home runs.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays faced a tough two-game series against the New York Yankees, resulting in a 13-3 defeat and a 6-4 extra-inning loss, extending their losing streak to three games. Over their previous 11 games, the Rays have gone 4-7, scoring 41 runs with a batting line of .223/.280/.366 and their bullpen recording a 5.22 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and .252 batting average against. Adrian Houser will be starting on Friday night with a 6-4 record, 2.67 ERA, and 1.29 WHIP in 2025, having yielded nine earned runs in 15.2 innings with the Rays. Houser has a 5-7 record with a 3.62 ERA against the Cardinals, with the current team batting 13-for-63 against him.

Adrian Houser Shows Improvement Against Giants, Rays Face Crucial Matchup Against Cardinals' Miles Mikolas

Adrian Houser's initial performances with the Rays have posed challenges, but he showed improvement in his most recent outing against the Giants, pitching five scoreless innings and striking out six batters. Recently, both the Rays and Cardinals have struggled against right-handed pitchers, making the upcoming match against Miles Mikolas crucial for the Rays. Despite some inconsistencies in the Rays bullpen, there is a possibility of improvement in the near future. The Cardinals currently trail by five games in the National League wild card race, while the Rays are behind by 6.5 games in the American League wild card race. It is improbable that either team will make the postseason this year.

Sources: [ 2 ] [ 3 ]

Power Rankings[ - ]

Last 10 Games Stats[ - ]

Betting Trends[ - ]

Injuries[ - ]