Game Details:
Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays
Date & Time: Sunday, August 24, 2025 | 6:40 PM ET
Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Betting Line: Rays -135 | Over/Under: 8.0
Key Storylines
Rays Fighting for AL Wild Card Spot: Tampa Bay enters tonight’s matchup in a tight battle in the American League Wild Card race. With only five weeks left in the regular season, every win counts, especially at home where they’ve played solid baseball all season.
Cardinals Clinging to Hope: St. Louis sits just on the edge of contention in the National League Central and Wild Card picture. They’ve hovered around the .500 mark all year and desperately need a strong finish to keep playoff hopes alive.
Recent Form: The Rays have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, led by consistent pitching and timely hitting. The Cardinals, however, have dropped five of their last seven, including a recent series loss to Miami.
Pitching Matchup
For the Cardinals, veteran righty Miles Mikolas (7-10, 4.62 ERA) is projected to start. His season has been marred by inconsistency, especially on the road where opponents are hitting .284 against him.
The Rays counter with Zach Eflin (11-7, 3.82 ERA), who has been sharp at Tropicana Field, boasting a 2.90 ERA at home. He’s struck out 135 batters across 140 innings and has held right-handed hitters to a .228 batting average.
Injury Report
Cardinals:
Out: Dylan Carlson (shoulder), Steven Matz (back)
Questionable: Nolan Arenado (back stiffness)
Rays:
Out: Brandon Lowe (fractured shin), Shane Baz (elbow)
Day-to-Day: Yandy Díaz (calf soreness)
Betting Trends
Against the Spread (ATS):
Cardinals: 58-64 ATS
Rays: 66-56 ATS
Over/Under Trends:
The total has gone under in 7 of the Cardinals’ last 10 games.
The total has gone over in 6 of the Rays’ last 10 games played at home.
Player Prop to Watch
Randy Arozarena (Rays) – Hits + Runs + RBIs Total: 1.5
Arozarena has produced multi-hit games in three of his last five outings and loves playing against his former organization. The over on this prop has solid value.
Prediction & Best Bets
Moneyline: Rays -135 → With Eflin on the bump and better recent form, Tampa Bay has the pitching and momentum edge here.
Total: Under 8.0 → Expect a lower-scoring game with both teams leaning on their bullpens and the dome at Tropicana Field favoring pitchers.
Player Prop: Randy Arozarena Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs → He has been locked in lately and matches up well against Mikolas.
Final Score Prediction: Rays 4, Cardinals 2