| MATCHUP | St. Louis Cardinals | Tampa Bay Rays |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 64-65 | 61-67 |
| Where | George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, Florida | |
| When | Friday, August 22, 2025 | |
| Time | 07:35 PM EDT | |
| TV | FanDuel SN MW | |
In this article we will formulate a Cardinals vs Rays prediction for this MLB game on Friday, August 22nd at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals are 64-65 this year after they won game one in this series by a score of 7-4 on Thursday night. St. Louis trailed 1-0 in the first inning, but they scored seven of the next nine runs to get the comeback win. The Cardinals recorded 10 hits in the game and they were led by Burleson, who went 2-5 with two RBIs in the win. St. Louis started Gray, who allowed six hits and three earned runs over 5.0 innings for the win, while Romero got the save.
Prior to this series, the Cardinals won two out of three against the Marlins, but lost all three against the Yankees before that. St. Louis has won three of their last four games and they are currently fourth in the NL Central standings. The St. Louis pitching staff has a 4.25 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and a .257 opponent batting average, while their offense has scored 565 runs with a .250 batting average and a .318 on base percentage this season. Wilson Contreras has led St. Louis with 18 home runs, 68 RBIs, and four stolen bases, while Alec Burleson has added 15 home runs and 59 RBIs this year. The projected starting pitcher for St. Louis is Miles Mikolas, who is 6-9 with a 4.99 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP over 122.2 innings pitched this year.
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Rays are 61-67 this season after they dropped game one on Thursday night. Tampa Bay cut the deficit to 5-3 in the third inning, but only managed one more run in the defeat. The Rays recorded 10 hits and they committed two errors in the game, while they were led by Diaz, who went 2-3 with one home run and two RBIs in the loss. Tampa Bay started Boyle, who allowed nine hits and five earned runs over 4.0 innings for the loss, while Baker allowed one earned run in relief.
Prior to this series, the Rays lost both games against the Yankees, but did win two out of three against the Giants before that. Tampa Bay has lost four games in a row and they are currently fourth in the AL East standings. The Tampa Bay pitching staff has a 4.01 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP and a .239 opponent batting average, while the offense has scored 567 runs with a .250 batting average and a .313 on base percentage this season. Junior Caminero has led Tampa Bay with 35 home runs and 86 RBIs, while Brandon Lowe has added 24 home runs and 62 RBIs for the Rays this year. The projected starting pitcher for Tampa Bay is Adrian Houser, who is 6-4 with a 2.67 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP over 84.1 innings pitched this season.
Why the Cardinals will beat the Rays
- The Cardinals have won each of their last five games as road underdogs against AL East opponents following a road win.
- The Rays have lost four of their last five games as home favorites after playing the previous day.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in 13 of their last 14 home games after playing the previous day.
- The Cardinals have covered the run line in seven of their last eight night games against AL East opponents that held a losing record.
- The Rays have trailed after 5 innings in four of their last five games against NL Central opponents.
- The Rays have trailed after 3 innings in four of their last five night games.
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Rays’ last six games as favorites against NL Central opponents have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Seven of the Cardinals’ last eight games as underdogs against American League opponents have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Cardinals’ last nine night games against AL East opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the last four games between the Cardinals and Rays.
Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts
- Adrian Houser has recorded five or more strikeouts in five of his last six appearances against NL opponents.
- Yandy Diaz has hit a home run in three of the Rays’ last four games at George M. Steinbrenner Field against opponents that held a losing record.
- Yandy Diaz has recorded at least one hit in 33 of his last 35 appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts
- Miles Mikolas has recorded four or more strikeouts in seven of his last eight Friday appearances against teams that held a losing record.
- Willson Contreras has hit a home run in each of the Cardinals’ last two games against opponents that held a losing record.
- Lars Nootbaar has recorded a Double in three of the Cardinals’ last four night games against AL opponents that held a losing record.
- Alec Burleson has recorded at least one hit in each of his last eight road appearances against AL opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Rays rank T27th in the league for home runs allowed this season (174).
- The Rays rank 26th in the league for doubles this season (190).
- The Cardinals rank 4th in the league for walks allowed this season (351).
- The Cardinals rank 4th in the league for home runs allowed this season (126).
Cardinals vs Rays Prediction
St. Louis was able to get the nice win to open this series on Thursday night and they have scored at least seven runs in three of their last four games. The Cardinals are 29-35 on the road this season, while the Rays are 32-33 at home. Tampa Bay has allowed 33 runs in their last four games and they are starting Houser, who has allowed 0, 4, and 5 earned runs in his three starts with the team. The Cardinals are going with Mikolas, who has allowed three earned runs or fewer in four of his last five. Take St. Louis to get another win here.