| MATCHUP | Tampa Bay Rays | St. Louis Cardinals |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Spread | -1.5 135 | +1.5 -163 |
| Moneyline | -126 | +104 |
| Total | Over 8 (-101) | Under 8 (-119) |
| Where | Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri | |
| When | Thursday, March 26, 2026 | |
| Time | 04:15 PM EDT | |
| TV | MLB.TV | |
In this article, we will formulate a Rays vs Cardinals Prediction for this MLB matchup on Thursday, March 26th. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this MLB matchup.
St. Louis Cardinals Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals finished last season with a 78-84 record and were placed 4th in the NL Central. They had a 44-37 home record and were 81-73 in over/under.
Last season the Cardinals had a .245 batting average, .314 OBP and .379 Slugging percentage. St. Louis’ pitching staff had a 4.29 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Alec Burleson led the Cardinals with 144 hits, and he was the team’s best hitter with a .290 batting average. Wilson Contreras led the team in RBI, with 80 and added a team-high 20 home runs.
Matthew Liberatore (L) is the projected starting pitcher for the Cardinals, and last season he had an 8-12 record, 4.21 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.
Tampa Bay Rays Preview
The Tampa Bay Rays finished last season with a 77-85 record and were placed 4th in the AL East. They had a 41-40 home record and 36-45 away record and were 71-80-11 in over/under.
Last season the Rays had a .251 batting average, .313 OBP and .401 Slugging percentage. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff had a 3.94 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Yandy Díaz led the Rays with 175 hits, and he was the team’s best hitter with a .300 batting average. Junior Caminero led the team in RBI, with 110 and added a team-high 45 home runs.
Drew Rasmussen (R) is the projected starting pitcher for the Rays, and last season he had a 10-5 record, 2.76 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. The Rays face off against the Brewers, Twins, and Cubs next.
Tampa Bay Rays @ St. Louis Cardinals Betting Trends: March 26, 2026
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Matthew Liberatore Record this season: – ERA: –
- Home Record: –
- Last 5 against Rays: 1-1
Why the St. Louis Cardinals will win
- The Rays have lost each of their last four games as favorites.
- The underdogs have won nine of the Cardinals’ last 12 games at Busch Stadium.
- The Rays have failed to cover the run line in each of their last 11 games as favorites.
- The underdogs have covered the run line in 11 of the Cardinals’ last 12 games at Busch Stadium.
- The Rays have trailed after 5 innings in six of their last seven games as favorites.
- The Rays have trailed after 3 innings in six of their last seven games as favorites.
- Probable Starting Pitcher: Drew Rasmussen Record this season: – ERA: –
- Road Record: –
- Last 5 against Cardinals: 0-1
Why the Tampa Bay Rays will win
- The Cardinals have lost each of their last eight day games against AL East opponents.
- The Rays have won each of their last eight games as favorites against National League opponents.
- The Cardinals have failed to cover the run line in each of their last four games.
- The Rays have covered the run line in five of their last six games as favorites against National League opponents.
- The Cardinals have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five games.
- The Cardinals have trailed after 3 innings in three of their last four games as underdogs.
Total Runs Facts
- Seven of the Cardinals’ last eight games as home underdogs have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Four of the Rays’ last five games as favorites have gone OVER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in eight of the Cardinals’ last nine home games against AL East opponents.
- The ‘Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in five of the Rays’ last six games at Busch Stadium.
St. Louis Cardinals Player Prop Facts
- Masyn Winn has recorded a Double in each of the Cardinals’ last three home games against the Rays.
- Alec Burleson has recorded at least one hit in each of his last seven appearances with the Cardinals as home underdogs.
- Ramon Urias has hit a home run in two of his last three appearances in day games.
Tampa Bay Rays Player Prop Facts
- Yandy Diaz has hit a home run in three of his last seven appearances against NL Central opponents.
- Drew Rasmussen has recorded five or more strikeouts in each of his last four appearances with the Rays as road favorites against NL opponents.
- Gavin Lux has recorded at least one hit in each of his last seven road appearances.
- Taylor Walls has recorded a Double in three of his last four appearances with the Rays as favorites.
- Drew Rasmussen has recorded a win in three of his last four appearances with the Rays as road favorites against NL opponents.
Rays vs Cardinals Prediction
The Rays won the only series against the Cardinal last season by 2-1 wins at home and both teams are tied 5-5 in their last 10 meetings. Over is 3-0-1 in their last 4 meetings.
In this Rays vs Cardinals Prediction, the Rays are coming as -125 road favorites. Both teams were not far apart from each other last season and the Rays were struggling on the road, while the Cardinals were solid at home. Liberatore was better at home last season with a sub-4 ERA, while Rasmussen was slightly weaker on the road. The Rays were also weaker against lefties last season, with a .234 batting average against left-handed pitching, ranking just 21st in the league, so I don’t expect them to start the season with a road win. Take the Cardinals on the moneyline at home for plus money.