Rays vs. Cardinals Prediction, Odds, Probable Pitchers for Thursday, Aug. 8

Reed Wallach | Aug 8, 2024

Aug 7, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) hits a two run double against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays each have faint postseason hopes, but will look to further its respective claim on Thursday at Busch Stadium.

Shane Baz has looked the part after returning to the Rays rotation at the start of July, but is this the right opportunity to fade him against a budding Cardinals lineup?

Here's our full betting preview for Thursday's big league matchup.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Rays vs. Cardinals Odds, Spread and Total

Run Line

• Rays: +1.5 (-196)
• Cardinals: -1.5 (+162)

Moneyline

• Rays: +108
• Cardinals: -126

Total: 8 (Over -115/Under -105)

Rays vs. Cardinals How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, August 8
• Game Time: 7:15 PM EST
• Venue: Busch Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports-SUN
• Rays Record: 57-56
• Cardinals Record: 59-56

Rays vs. Cardinals Probable Pitchers

Tampa Bay Rays: Shane Baz (0-1, 3.60 ERA)

St. Louis Cardinals: Kyle Gibson (7-4, 4.04 ERA)

Rays vs. Cardinals Key Players to Watch

Tampa Bay Rays

Brandon Lowe: Lowe comes into this matchup in good form, hitting .315 over the last 10 games while adding a home run and eight RBI’s. Can he find answers against Kyle Gibson, a right hander in which he has slugged close to .500 (.492) on the year. 

St. Louis Cardinals

Alec Burleson: Can Burleson break out of his slump? He went 2-for-4 on Wednesday with a pair of runs batted in which can help build on his post All-Star break slump, which he is hitting .233 after a scorching start to the season that featured a .288 batting average with 17 home runs. For what it’s worth, he is hitting .309 against right handed pitching this season. 

Rays vs. Cardinals Prediction and Pick

I’ll fade Shane Baz of the Rays, who is trying to work himself into shape down the stretch of the season. He has a 3.60 ERA, but his underlying stats suggest he has been far worse in his five starts, posting an xERA of 5.69. 

The Cardinals as a whole are hitting well, top half of the big leagues in terms of batting average since the All-Star break while the Rays are a meager 25th.

I’ll take the Cards in a projected tight game. 

PICK: Cardinals ML (-126)

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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