Rays vs. Cardinals Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers, Prop Bets for MLB Opening Day

Both the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Louis Cardinals finished in fourth place in their respective divisions in 2025, but today marks the start of a new season and a new opportunity to return to the MLB Playoffs.

The Rays and Cardinals will begin their respective seasons with an interleague matchup between each other. Drew Rasmussen will get the start for the Rays, and Matthew Liberatore will be on the mound for the Cardinals.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for today's game in St. Louis.

Rays vs. Cardinals Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Run Line

Rays -1.5 (+134)
Cardinals +1.5 (-162)

Moneyline

Rays -124
Cardinals +106

Total

OVER 7.5 (-124)
UNDER 7.5 (+102)

Rays vs. Cardinals Probable Pitchers

Tampa Bay: Drew Rasmussen, RHP (10-5, 2.76 ERA in 2025)
St. Louis: Matthew Liberatore, LHP (8-12, 4.21 ERA in 2025)

Rays vs. Cardinals How to Watch

Date: Thursday, March 26
Time: 4:15 p.m. ET
Venue: Busch Stadium
How to Watch (TV): MLB.TV, Cardinals.TV, Rays.TV
Rays record: 0-0
Cardinals record: 0-0

Rays vs. Cardinals Best MLB Prop Bet

Junior Caminero 2+ Total Bases (-130)

Junior Caminero looks primed to take another step in his development. He was arguably the Dominican Republic's best player in the WBC, sporting a batting average of .350 across six games. I'm going to bet on that success to continue into the MLB season, starting with recording at least two bases in today's opener.

Rays vs. Cardinals Prediction and Pick

I fear the Cardinals are in for another disappointing season. They ranked just 25th in the Majors in OPS last season and did little in the offseason to improve on that mark. Meanwhile, the Rays are much better than their 2025 record indicated. They didn't have elite offensive numbers, but they have some great pitching and a good enough lineup to lead them to a better record this year.

I like the Rays to start their season off with a win this afternoon.

Pick: Rays -124 via FanDuel

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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