Tampa Bay Rays vs
St. Louis CardinalsPredictions & Preview

St. Louis Cardinals Favored to Win Series Opener Against Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming into this series on a positive note, winning two games in a row and five of their last seven. They currently hold a record of 57-54, sitting in fourth place in the AL East and are three games above .500. On the other hand, the St. Louis Cardinals have been struggling, losing two games in a row and four of their last five. They are tied for second place in the NL Central with a record of 57-56, one game over .500. The Cardinals are favorites in the series opener against the Rays, with Sonny Gray starting for St. Louis and Jeffrey Springs starting for Tampa Bay. The current betting line favors St. Louis at -144.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Rays +131 | Cardinals -144
• Spread: Rays +1.5 (-166) | Cardinals -1.5 (+145)
• Total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that St. Louis will win straight-up is 59%.

Tampa Bay vs St. Louis Stats

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have had strong pitching performances in their last two wins, only allowing one run in each game. In their most recent victory against the Houston Astros on the road, they won 1-0 and only gave up three hits. Brandon Lowe had a standout performance, going 2 for 4 with the lone RBI. Despite ranking 15th in team ERA, the Rays have struggled offensively, ranking 28th in runs scored. Isaac Paredes, who was traded to the Chicago Cubs in late July, still leads the team in HR and RBI. Yandy Diaz, who leads the team in batting average and at bats, left the last game with a wrist injury and is considered day-to-day. Jeffrey Springs, with a 0-0 record and 4.91 ERA, will make his second start after dealing with injuries for much of the past two seasons. The Rays currently hold a 27-25 record on the road and have a power ranking of 3, ranking 27th in offense and 15th in defense. Overall, they have a 57-54 record this season.

St. Louis Cardinals Analysis

The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled offensively in their last few games, only scoring more than four runs in one of their last five games and totaling just two runs in their last two games. In a recent game against the New York Mets, they lost 6-0 despite having six hits and leaving seven men on base. The team ranks 18th in the Majors in team ERA and tied for 21st in runs scored. Alec Burleson leads the team in RBI and HR, with three RBI over the last five games but only one hit in the last two games. Paul Goldschmidt leads the club in at-bats but has been hitless in the last four games. Sonny Gray will start the next series opener, coming off a solid performance in his last start. The team has a power ranking of 19 and is ranked 22nd in offense, averaging 4.18 runs per game. They have a record of 57-56 overall. Tampa Bay has won two out of their last three matchups against St. Louis.

Cardinals Favored in Pitching Matchup Against Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are entering this game with a two-game winning streak and having won five of their last seven games. Conversely, the St. Louis Cardinals have suffered losses in their last two games and four of their last five. The upcoming pitching matchup presents an intriguing scenario, with Springer set to make only his second start of the season and Gray, despite a strong previous outing, having given up five runs in three of his four starts prior to that. Gray is expected to deliver a solid performance, supported by a reliable bullpen. The Cardinals, although not prolific in recent games, are anticipated to score against Springer. With some key hits, St. Louis is poised to secure a victory at home. Therefore, my recommendation is to take the Cardinals at -140.

Sources: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]