Game Time: 1:10 pm ET, Thursday, June 9, 2022
Venue: Tropicana Field, Petersburg, FL
Where to Watch: BSSUN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline odds: Cardinals +100, Rays -120; Over/Under: 7 runs
Bet365: Moneyline odds: Cardinals +100, Rays -120; Over/Under: 7 runs
BetMGM: Moneyline odds: Cardinals +100, Rays -120; Over/Under: 7 runs
Season Record
St Louis Cardinals: 32-24 (2nd place, NL Central)
Tampa Bay Rays: 32-23 (3rd place, AL East)
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St Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays Preview and Analysis
Recent Form
St Louis Cardinals: 6-4 last 10
Tampa Bay Rays: 6-4 last 10
St Louis Cardinals Analysis
The Cardinals are coming into this game with a 32-24 record overall and they are 16-13 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They have won 2 of their last 3 games but are coming into this one off of a loss in their last game which snapped a 2 game winning streak that they were on. They just won their 5-game series against the Chicago Cubs 3-2, had Monday off as a rest day, and they are playing the series finale of a 3-game series with the Rays on Thursday. This will be the 3rd game of the series on Thursday with the 2nd game still to be played on Wednesday. Packy Naughton is the starting pitcher for them on Wednesday while Miles Mikolas is on the mound for them here on Thursday. He is 4-3 with a 3.02 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him starting. In his last start, he allowed 4 ER, 1 HR, and 3 BB with 4 Ks on 8 hits in 5 IP against the Chicago Cubs. They scored 32 runs in their last series averaging just over 6 runs scored per game in that span and they allowed 25 runs against them averaging 5 runs allowed per game.
Tampa Bay Rays Analysis
The Rays are coming into this game with a 32-23 record overall and they are 19-13 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games but are coming into this one off of a win in their last game which snapped a 2 game losing streak that they were on. They just lost their 3-game series against the Chicago White Sox 2-1, had Monday off as a rest day, and they are playing the series finale of a 3-game series with the Cardinals on Thursday. This will be the 3rd game of the series on Thursday with the 2nd game still to be played on Wednesday. Corey Kluber is the starting pitcher for them on Wednesday while Shane McClanahan will be on the mound for them here on Thursday. He is 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA this season. His team won 7 of their last 8 games this season with him as a starter. In his last start, he allowed 2 earned runs, 1 homer, and 0 BB with 8 strikeouts on 6 hits in 6 innings played against the Chicago White Sox. They scored 13 runs in their last series averaging just over 4 runs scored per game in that span and they allowed 12 runs against them averaging 4 runs allowed per game.
Cardinals vs Rays Prediction
The Rays are coming into this game as a slight favorite with the current betting odds. Both of these teams have been very inconsistent this season but have trended more on the winning side this season as well. The Rays have a very good bullpen though and they have the slight advantage over the Cardinals there. They have also been pitching very well recently and McClanahan has been a solid starter for them this season as well. Mikolas is starting for the Cardinals here and he has been alright but not as good as McClanahan has been and the rays have the bullpen to back them up as well. Neither team has been hitting the ball that well either so this game could come down to pitching and the Rays have the slight advantage there. The best bet here is on the Rays to win this game at home.
Cardinals Rays Prediction: Our MLB Pick for Thursday, June 9, 2022 (1:10 pm ET start time) is Rays 4 Cardinals 1.
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MLB Betting Trends
St Louis Cardinals: 24-24 (-5 Units) ML in an inter-league game. 10-4 UNDER as a road underdog of +100 to +150. 37-22 UNDER against left-handed starters.
Tampa Bay Rays: 184-117 (+38.2 Units) ML in all games. 29-11 (+17.6 Units) ML when the total is 7 or less. 9-3 UNDER at home with a money line of -100 to -150.
Key Injuries
St Louis Cardinals: J. Flaherty (SP) Early July - Shoulder. D. Carlson (RF) Ques Wed - Hamstring. C. Dickerson (LF) Out indefinitely - Calf.
Tampa Bay Rays: B. Lowe (2B) Late June - Back. W. Franco (SS) Mid June - Quadricep. J. Feyereisen (RP) Out indefinitely - Shoulder.
Notable Quotes
"You're going to have games like that. Guys battled. Actually a really well-played game." - Oliver Marmol after his team’s loss against the Rays on Tuesday.
"You feel good for Wallsie. Any of these guys that have been scuffling here a little bit to come up with a big hit like that and ultimately win us a ballgame has got to be a great feeling for him. I know our clubhouse is pretty pumped up right now." - Kevin Cash after his team’s win against the Cardinals on Tuesday.
Starting Lineups
St Louis Cardinals
Tommy Edman (S) 2B
Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B
Nolan Arenado (R) 3B
Albert Pujols (R) DH
Tyler O'Neill (R) LF
Harrison Bader (R) CF
Yadier Molina (R) C
Edmundo Sosa (R) SS
Brendan Donovan (L) RF
Tampa Bay Rays
Randy Arozarena (R) LF
Ji-Man Choi (L) 1B
Manuel Margot (R) DH
Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF
Isaac Paredes (R) 3B
Brett Phillips (L) RF
Francisco Mejia (S) C
Taylor Walls (S) SS
Vidal Brujan (S) 2B
Statistical Leaders
St Louis Cardinals
Batting Average: Paul Goldschmidt (.341)
Hits: Paul Goldschmidt (71)
Home Runs: Paul Goldschmidt (12)
RBI: Nolan Arenado (47)
Stolen Bases: Harrison Bader (14)
Wins: Adam Wainwright (5)
Saves: Giovanny Gallegos (8)
ERA: Angel Rondon (0.00)
Tampa Bay Rays
Batting Average: Manuel Margot (.301)
Hits: Randy Arozarena (53)
Home Runs: Kevin Kiermaier (6)
RBI: Ji-Man Choi (25)
Stolen Bases: Randy Arozarena (10)
Wins: Shane McClanahan (6)
Saves: Andrew Kittredge (5)
ERA: J.P. Feyereisen (0.00)
Managers:
St Louis Cardinals: Oliver Marmol (1st season)
Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Cash (8th season)