MLB Prop Bets: St. Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays (March 26, 2026)
The Tampa Bay Rays (0-0) face the St. Louis Cardinals (0-0) at Busch Stadium on Thursday at 4:15pm (ET). Let's take a look at the MLB Prop Bets for the matchup. Drew Rasmussen is the probable pitcher for the Rays, while Matthew Liberatore is the probable pitcher for the Cardinals. The Rays are favored to win at -126, while the Cardinals are at +104. The total runs line is set at 7.5, with OVER at -110 and UNDER at -110.
- The Rays (+139) had a 78-84 Run Line record last season, while the Cardinals (-168) held a record of 79-83.
- The Rays had a 71-80-11 O/U record last season (meaning 71 games went over the total runs line, 80 went under and 11 resulted in a push). The Cardinals had an 81-73-8 O/U record last season.
Scoring Insights
- The Rays scored 4.4 runs per game last season (15th in the league). Comparatively, the Cardinals averaged 4.3 (19th).
- In the field, the Rays allowed 4.2 runs per game last season (T12th in the league), while the Cardinals gave up an average of 4.7 runs (22nd).
Let's take a look at how these teams perform in some other key statistical areas.
Batting Insights:
Batting Average
- Looking at their batting averages last season, the Rays were at .251 (ranking 9th in the Major leagues), while the Cardinals batted .245 (17th).
Home Runs
- In terms of total home runs last season, the Cardinals hit 148 (29th in the Major Leagues). Meanwhile, the Rays managed 182 (T16th).
Runs Batted In
- Finally, looking at their runs batted in, the Rays recorded 680 RBIs to rank 14th in the MLB last season. Comparatively, the Cardinals recorded 653 RBIs to rank 22nd.
Pitching Insights:
Earned Run Average
- The Cardinals had an earned run average of 4.29 last season (21st in the Majors), while The Rays had an ERA of 3.94 (15th).
Strikeouts
- Turning our attention to total strikeouts, the Rays recorded 1416 last season, ranking T9th in the MLB. Meanwhile, the Cardinals ranked 29th for total strikeouts, recording 1209.
Opponent Batting Average
- Opponents batted an average of .259 against the Cardinals last season (27th in the Major Leagues). Comparatively, the Rays' opponents were at .237 (9th).
First Innings Moneyline
- Here are their first innings moneyline records in 2025.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rays | 45-40-77 | 27-19-35 | 18-21-42 | 23-19-39 | 22-21-38 | 0-0-0 |
| Cardinals | 30-51-81 | 12-28-41 | 18-23-40 | 10-22-32 | 20-29-49 | 0-0-0 |
Lead After Three Innings
- Here are their records after the first three innings in 2025.
| Total | Home | Road | Favorite | Underdog | Neutral | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rays | 62-62-38 | 34-34-13 | 28-28-25 | 34-30-17 | 28-32-21 | 0-0-0 |
| Cardinals | 55-61-46 | 29-27-25 | 26-34-21 | 26-25-13 | 29-36-33 | 0-0-0 |
NRFI/YRFI
The NRFI market is paying -125 and the YRFI is paying -105.
- The NRFI was 74-88 in Rays games last season. The Cardinals had an 80-82 NRFI record.
Last Time They Met
The Rays recorded a 7-2 victory over the Cardinals at George M. Steinbrenner Field when these teams last met on August 24, 2025. Chandler Simpson went yard en route to that victory, hitting a home run to go with 2 RBIs.
