Rays Will Kick Off Season With Win Over Cardinals

Rays vs. Cardinals, 4:15 ET

Baseball is one of those sports where any team can win on any given day. It is part of the reason that I like betting on it so much. There is a lot of value in underdogs. I will mention that there are numerous times each year when a team is a +300 dog and the favorite blows the game. The Tigers, for example, don't win every game that Tarik Skubal starts. It is just an example, but you get my point. This game is a bit different. One team has the potential to be great, the other is somewhat trying to tank. The Rays should be bigger favorites than they are against the Cardinals, even on Opening Day. 

The Rays are a bit of a darling team for most handicappers. They tend to fly under the radar quite a bit, but they are almost always talented and give you a chance to win games. Despite almost never having a high payroll, they find ways to have winning seasons. They aren't the most talented, but seem to get the most out of their talent. They are a unique team, and I really enjoy watching what they do. I've seen a ton of people be very high on the Rays, but I am not really one of them. I think they will be good, but the division is very tough, so it will keep them from competing for playoff spots. The team gets a chance to start their year off with a win. Drew Rasmussen takes the hill for the Rays. He was solid last season with 31 starts, going 10-5 with a 2.76 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP for the year. There aren't many Cardinals hitters with at-bats against him, just four of them. Three are 0-for-1, and the other is 0-for-12. Rasmussen won't overpower people, but he gets people out even while they put the ball in play.

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA;  St. Louis Cardinals catcher Iván Herrera (right) and pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) shake hands after pitching drills during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Cardinals are going to be a bad team. They went through most of the offseason trying to unload any talent that won't be around for many years. I do think they've done a good job of trying to rebuild. There are only a few guys who they want to keep and see a future with. I'm sure some guys will be expendable around the trade deadline as well. It really doesn't matter at the moment, but I want to provide you some context into what the Cardinals are thinking. I'm not insinuating they will throw games by any means. They will try to be competitive, but most of their efforts will be around development for the future instead of this year. They turn their season to Matthew Liberatore to kick it off. He went 8-12 last season with a 4.21 ERA, and a 1.31 WHIP. He has faced more Rays hitters - seven of them. Collectively, they've gone 1-for-15, and the one hit was a single. He was better at home last season than he was on the road, but still had a 3.93 ERA. 

The Rays aren't expected to be one of the best teams in baseball, but they do have some potential to be good. The Cardinals are expected to be one of the worst teams in the game this year. Both pitchers have limited experience against the other team. This, to me, is mostly about value. I really like Rasmussen and think the offense will be better for Tampa Bay. I'm going to back the Rays on the moneyline at -125 as I think they should be bigger favorites than they are right now. 

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