St Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, Preview and Odds - 08/08/2023

by Rod Pearson

Monday, Aug 07, 2023
Game Time: 6:40 pm ET, Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Venue:  Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Where to Watch:  BSSUN


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Cardinals +150, Rays -180; Over/Under:  8 runs
Bet365:  Moneyline odds:  Cardinals +150, Rays -180; Over/Under:  8 runs
BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:  Cardinals +150, Rays -180; Over/Under:  8 runs

Season Record

St Louis Cardinals:  49-64 (5th place, NL Central)
Tampa Bay Rays:  68-46 (2nd place, AL East)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Jack Banks is having a GREAT MLB SEASON going 96-62 for +$23,380! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.


Recent Form
St Louis Cardinals:  3-7 last 10
Tampa Bay Rays:  6-4 last 10



St Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays Preview and Analysis


The Cardinals are entering this series off a loss and lost their 3-game series against the Colorado Rockies 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 49-64 record overall and have a road record of 24-31. This is the series opener of a 3-game series with the Rays on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 6th in the MLB with a .762 OPS. Zack Thompson was their starting pitcher on Sunday while Miles Mikolas is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 6-7 with a 4.29 ERA this season. His team lost their last 3 straight games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 2 ER, 0 HR, and 1 BB with 7 Ks on 6 hits through 7 IP against the Minnesota Twins.

The Rays are entering this series off a win and won their 3-game series against the Detroit Tigers 2-1 in their last series. They enter this game with a 68-46 record overall and have a home record of 37-19. This is the 1st game of a 3-game series with the Cardinals on Tuesday and they have Monday off as a day of rest. Their offense ranks 5th in the MLB with a .773 OPS. Erasmo Ramírez was their starting pitcher on Sunday while Zach Eflin is making his start in this game on Tuesday. He is 12-6 with a 3.46 ERA this season. His team won 2 of their last 3 games this season with him making an appearance. In his last MLB regular season start, he allowed 0 earned runs, 0 homers, and 0 BB with 5 strikeouts on 3 hits through 6 innings played against the New York Yankees.


Cardinals vs Rays Prediction

The current betting odds have the Rays listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rays are in 2nd place in the AL East trying to chase down the Orioles in 1st place now but the Rays have been playing a lot better in their games lately and are starting to surge once again. The Cardinals have been having a terrible season with their losing record and they are so far under .500 that they really have no chance at making the playoffs this season, even becoming a seller at the trade deadline. The Rays are going to be looking to beat up on a struggling team as they try to make up some ground and they have a really good pitching matchup here. They have Eflin starting in this game and he has been really good in his starts all season, not giving up many runs lately. He will be able to shut down this Cardinals offense while the Rays offer him plenty of run support in this game. The Rays offense has been getting hot again and the Cardinals are going to have Mikolas on the mound here who hasn't been great this season. He has been giving up a ton of runs in his starts this year and he will struggle to keep the Rays off the board with the way they have been hitting lately. The Rays are going to continue rolling in this series as they try to chase down the Orioles in the AL East. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rays to win this game.

Cardinals Rays Prediction:  Our MLB Pick for Tuesday, August 8, 2023 (6:40 pm ET start time) is Rays 6 Cardinals 1.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks, best bets, and expert baseball picks today.  And if you enjoyed this St Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily MLB projections and previews.

MLB Betting Trends


St Louis Cardinals: 49-64 (-28.9 units) on the moneyline in all games. 17-28 (-17.3 units) on the moneyline when the total is 8 to 8.5. 9-5 UNDER as a road underdog of +125 to +175. 8-3 UNDER when playing with a day off.

Tampa Bay Rays: 60-29 (+14 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -110 or higher. 37-19 (+8.1 units) on the moneyline in home games. 8-4 UNDER against NL Central opponents. ZACH EFLIN is 10-3 UNDER when the total is 8 to 8.5.

Key Injuries


St Louis Cardinals:  M. Mikolas (SP) Elig Tues - Suspension. B. Donovan (2B) out for season - Elbow. J. Woodford (RP) Mid Aug - Shoulder. W. Rodriguez (RP) Mid Aug - Shoulder. R. Helsley (RP) Mid Aug - Forearm. P. Naughton (SP) out for season - Forearm.

Tampa Bay Rays:  T. Glasnow (SP) day-to-day - Back. S. McClanahan (SP) Out indefinitely - Forearm. A. Kittredge (RP) Mid Aug - Elbow. J. Fleming (SP) Mid Aug - Elbow. T. Walls (SS) Out indefinitely - Oblique. F. Mejia (C) Early Sept - Knee. D. Rasmussen (RP) out for season - Elbow. G. Cleavinger (RP) out for season - Knee. J. Springs (RP) out for season - Elbow. S. Baz (SP) out for season - Elbow.


Notable Quotes


“There were plenty of opportunities. We didn't get that necessary hit.” - Oliver Marmol after his team’s loss against the Rockies in their game on Sunday.


“We needed all the runs today, because it was going to be a bullpen game. Manning really locked in after we got the early five runs, and we wanted to give the relievers as much of an advantage as we could.” - Kevin Cash after his team’s win against the Tigers in their game on Sunday.


Starting Lineups


St Louis Cardinals
Tommy Edman (S) SS
Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B
Nolan Arenado (R) 3B
Tyler O'Neill (R) DH
Nolan Gorman (L) 2B
Jordan Walker (R) RF
Dylan Carlson (S) CF
Andrew Knizner (R) C
Lars Nootbaar (L) LF

Tampa Bay Rays
Yandy Diaz (R) DH
Wander Franco (S) SS
Brandon Lowe (L) 2B
Randy Arozarena (R) LF
Luke Raley (L) RF
Isaac Paredes (R) 1B
Josh Lowe (L) CF
Curtis Mead (R) 3B
Christian Bethancourt (R) C

Statistical Leaders


St Louis Cardinals
Batting Average:  Ivan Herrera (.348)
Hits:  Paul Goldschmidt (119)
Home Runs:  Nolan Arenado (24)
RBI:  Nolan Arenado (79)
Stolen Bases:  Tommy Edman (15)
Wins:  Miles Mikolas (6)
Saves:  Giovanny Gallegos (8)
ERA:  Packy Naughton (0.00)

Tampa Bay Rays
Batting Average:  Rene Pinto (.357)
Hits:  Wander Franco (115)
Home Runs:  Isaac Paredes (21)
RBI:  Isaac Paredes (66)
Stolen Bases:  Wander Franco (29)
Wins:  Zach Eflin (12)
Saves:  Pete Fairbanks (14)
ERA:  Chase Anderson (0.00)

Managers:
St Louis Cardinals: Oliver Marmol (2nd season)
Tampa Bay Rays: Kevin Cash (9th season)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

© 2024 Al McMordie's BigAl.com. All Rights Reserved.