The St. Louis Cardinals host the Tampa Bay Rays on March 28, 2026. First pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on CARD.
The Cardinals are favored by -112 on the moneyline, though the Rays are favored by 1.5 runs. The Rays are -104 on the moneyline with the total being 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: Rays F5 ML
My Rays vs Cardinals best bet is Rays F5 ML. 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 +172 | 7.5 -100o / -122u | -104 |
| Cardinals Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -210 | 7.5 -100o / -122u | -112 |
- Rays vs Cardinals spread: Rays -1.5 (+172), Cardinals +1.5 (-210)
- Rays vs Cardinals over/under: 7.5 (-100o / -122u)
- Rays vs Cardinals moneyline: Rays -104, Cardinals -112
Rays vs Cardinals Projected Starting Pitchers
| Joe Boyle (RHP) | Stat | Michael McGreevy (RHP) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | W-L | 8-4 |
| 0.5 | fWAR (FanGraphs) | 0.9 |
| 4.67 / 4.03 | ERA /xERA | 4.42 / 4.65 |
| 4.19 / 4.38 | FIP / xFIP | 4.27 / 4.32 |
| 1.37 | WHIP | 1.25 |
| 13.3% | K-BB% | 9.5 |
| 43.8% | GB% | 47.3% |
| 106 | Stuff+ | 88 |
| 88 | Location+ | 111 |
Rays vs Cardinals Betting Preview
Tampa Bay Rays Betting Preview: Check Your Lenses
All aboard the Joe Boyle bandwagon! I’ve stayed on the track for years, but perhaps this is finally the year that the 6-8, Google-wearing hurler blossoms.
Boyle is a flamethrower, sitting at a jaw-dropping 98.4 mph on his four seamer. That led to him punching out over 10 batters per nine in 13 outings last year, but he also walked over four batters per nine. He posted a 4.67 ERA with a 4.03 xERA and 4.19 FIP over 52 innings in 2025.
The final two spring training outings for Boyle perfectly encapsulated what makes him good and bad. He struck out six in three innings in both games, but walked two and four batters. The deep counts had his pitch count around the 70 range in just three innings. He'll need to limit the walks to get past the fifth in this one.
In the season-opening loss, the Rays scored seven runs — five of which came in the sixth inning. I love the top four hitters in the Rays lineup. Yandy Diaz is getting up there in age, but he's as consistent a 120 wRC+ hitter as there is in the leadoff spot. Then, the speedster, Chandler Simpson, will put the ball in play and look to steal a bag. Behind them are lefty slugger Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero.
The bottom of the order has some question marks, though. Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley will look for a resurgence in Tampa, while top prospect Carson Williams has the tools to be the shortstop of the future.
I don't rate the Rays' bullpen very highly, and their implosion on opening day exacerbated my doubts. Both Garrett Cleavinger and Griffin Jax — Tampa's two best pen arms gave up a run. Kevin Cash needs them to be nails to avoid further late-game issues.
St. Louis Cardinals Betting Preview: It's All Greevy
The Cardinals will send Spring Training standout Michael McGreevy to the mound. McGreevy started five games in Spring, posting a 2.45 ERA and holding opponents to a .229 batting average.
Expect a steady diet of strikes from McGreevy. He posted an elite 1.89 BB/9 and sat in the 99th percentile in BB%. None of his six offerings is overwhelming, but his sinker leads to a lot of groundballs.
Cardinals GM Chaim Bloom decided it was time to move on from some vets, such as Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Brendan Donovan. The goal was to free up money and playing time for younger players.
The potential future of the franchise, JJ Wetherholt hit a homer in his first MLB game and outfielder Nathan Church went 3-for-4 in the season-opener.
The most established hitter in the lineup is Alec Burleson, who loves to crush right-handed pitching. Ivan Herrera is probably the second-best hitter for St. Louis, as he popped 19 homers last year.
In all, the lack of power in this Cardinals lineup is a worry. Last year, they were one of the worst power-hitting teams in the sport, and they might be the absolute worst this year. The only real path to hitting for decent power is if former top prospects Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman can knock the "bust" label off.
Rays vs Cardinals Pick, Betting Analysis
I want the Boyle portion of the game. The Cardinals have a slight bullpen edge with Matt Svanson, Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, and Ryne Stanek at the back end. That could be the difference in the latter innings, but Boyle should outduel McGreevy in the early going.
So, give me Rays' first five innings and join me on the Boyle bandwagon.
Pick: Rays F5 ML
