St. Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction – 8/24/2025
The St. Louis Cardinals will visit the Tampa Bay Rays in the final game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Both teams have taken a game in this series and will look for a win in this rubber match. Continue reading to get my breakdown of the action and to see who I like to win this game in my Cardinals vs Rays prediction.
Our Cardinals vs Rays Pick
- Pick: Over 8.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
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Game Snapshot
- Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Date & Time: Sunday, August 24, 2025, at 12:10 p.m. ET
- Starting Pitchers: Matthew Liberatore vs Ryan Pepiot
- Stadium: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL
- Broadcast: FDSSUN and FDSMW
Key Storylines
Pitching Matchup
Matthew Liberatore has logged a 4.13 ERA this season in 23 starts this season. He has delivered 10 quality starts and averages just over five innings per outing. Opposing Liberatore will be Ryan Pepiot. Pepiot has a 3.95 ERA over 26 starts. He has struck out 146 batters in nearly 149 innings and averages nearly 5.7 innings per start. He’s consistently delivered quality outings and Pepiot could be the difference maker in this matchup.
Recent Team Streaks
The Cardinals come into this game having lost two of their last three games. That is bad news for their Wild Card hopes in the National League. Tampa snapped a four-game losing streak with their win over the Cardinals on Saturday.
Best Player Props
| Player | Stat | Prop |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Caminero | Home Runs | Over 0.5 |
| Ryan Pepiot | Strikeouts | Under 5.5 |
| Yandy Diaz | Total Bases | Over 1.5 |
Betting Trends & H2H
- These teams have split their first two games against each other this season.
- Both games in this series have gone over their totals.
- These teams are separated by just one run combined over their first two games. The Rays have scored 14 runs over the last two games and the Cardinals have scored 13.
Cardinals vs Rays Model Projection
Score Projection: Rays 5 – Cardinals 4
Win Probability: Rays 54%, Cardinals 46%
Final Thoughts
I am under the impression that we see a close game from Tampa today. The Rays and Cardinals both have solid starting pitchers going in this matchup and we aren’t likely to get a lopsided result in either direction. But I do think that we will get a game that goes over the total of 8.5 runs. Both of the first two games of this series went over their totals and I am expecting more of the same from these offenses on Sunday afternoon.
