The St. Louis Cardinals host the Tampa Bay Rays on March 26, 2026. First pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on CARD.
The Rays are favored by -124 on the moneyline and by -1.5 on the run line. The Cardinals are +106 on the moneyline and +1.5 on the run line. The total is set at 7.5 runs.
Find my MLB picks and Rays vs Cardinals prediction below, as well as probable pitchers, weather report, and more.
Rays vs Cardinals Prediction
- Rays vs Cardinals Pick: Cardinals ML (-105 or Better)
My Rays vs Cardinals best bet is on the Cardinals moneyline. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live MLB odds page.
Rays vs Cardinals Odds
| Rays Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +146 | 7.5 -118o / -104u | -124 |
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -178 | 7.5 -118o / -104u | +106 |
- Rays vs Cardinals spread: Rays -1.5 (+146), Cardinals +1.5 (-178)
- Rays vs Cardinals over/under: 7.5 (-118 / -104)
- Rays vs Cardinals moneyline: Rays -124, Cardinals +106
Rays vs Cardinals Projected Starting Pitchers
| Drew Rasmussen (RHP) | Stat | Matthew Liberatore (LHP) |
|---|---|---|
| 10-5 | W-L | 8-12 |
| 2.5 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 1.8 |
| 2.76 / 3.48 | ERA /xERA | 4.21 / 4.87 |
| 3.84 / 3.72 | FIP / xFIP | 4.03 / 4.31 |
| 1.02 | WHIP | 1.31 |
| 15.4 | K-BB% | 12.7 |
| 49.3 | GB% | 37.4 |
| 108 | Stuff+ | 95 |
| 103 | Location+ | 102 |
Rays vs Cardinals Betting Preview
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview: Rays Due for Regression
The Tampa Bay Rays enter 2026 looking to build on the positives from the 2025 season.
The Rays were displaced last year and played their home games at a hitter-friendly George M. Steinbrenner Field. That ballpark certainly aided the excellent offensive seasons we saw from the likes of Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Diaz, and Junior Caminero's breakout.
But aside from those three, the bats in this lineup are a massive question mark, especially in this matchup, where the wind will be blowing in at Busch Stadium.
On the mound, ace Drew Rasmussen is due for regression as well. The righty was excellent as a five-and-fly starter in 2025, but his 3.37 xERA and 3.49 xFIP dwarfed his stellar 2.76 ERA.
Rasmussen was very fortunate to work around a great deal of hard contact by stranding runners at an incredible 83.6% rate.
We saw some of this regression in Spring Training, where Rasmussen posted a 5.06 FIP and a below-average CSW rate across 14 2/3 innings.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview: Liberator to Light it Up
While I spent the above section harping on the impending regression of the Rays, it's time to sing the praises of Cardinals' ace Matthew Liberatore.
Liberatore, a former top prospect of the Rays, has flashed elite upside for seasons. But this Spring, it appears that he's begun to put it together at the big league level.
The young lefty was lethal in 18 1/3 innings of work, pitching to a 2.09 xFIP with a 32.9% CSW rate. While it's a small sample size, this is a glimpse of how good Liberatore can be, and we should see that confidence carry over into his first start of the year.
However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the Cardinals' lineup is not as promising.
The subtractions of Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan loom large as these bats lack experience and a track record of production.
Although they do have a new face. The new star could be rookie JJ Wetherholt, who made the club after an impressive Spring Training in which he posted a 52% hard-hit rate and a 24% barrel rate. Wetherholt gives the Cards a stack of solid left-handed bats to face Rasmussen, who pitched considerably worse against lefties in 2025.
So, while this lineup does not inspire much confidence over the course of the season, there are plenty of bright spots that could provide the minimal run support St. Louis will need when Liberatore is on the mound.
Rays vs Cardinals Pick, Betting Analysis
This Opening Day angle is largely a fade of the Rays, who are primed to regress in many areas.
From their starter in Rasmussen, to the bevy of bats that will be in a rough hitters' environment.
On top of that, Liberatore found it in the Spring, and it will be exciting to see how it carries over into this outing.
The Cards are going to be a team to back with Liberatore on the mound this season, and he gives them a chance to pull off the upset on Opening Day.
Pick: Cardinals ML (-105 or Better)
