Cardinals vs. Rays Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, June 7 (Expect Low-Scoring Affair)

The 31-23 Tampa Bay Rays host the 32-23 St. Louis Cardinals tonight at 7:10 PM EST.

A pair of strong young pitchers take the mound as Dakota Hudson starts for St. Louis and Jeffrey Springs gets the call for Tampa Bay.

Hudson has a 2.96 ERA on the year and is coming off seven innings of one-hit baseball against San Diego, while Springs has a 1.88 ERA and has given up just four runs total in his last four starts.

Which young gun has the edge? Will Springs snap a two-game losing streak for Tampa or will Hudson give the visitors their ninth win in 12 games?

Here are the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook to help us find out ahead of this Cardinals vs Rays matchup:

Cardinals vs Rays Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

• Cardinals +1.5 (-150)
• Rays -1.5 (+125)

Moneyline:

• Cardinals: +140
• Rays: -150

Total:

• 7.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Cardinals vs Rays Prediction and Pick

Dakota Hudson reminds me of cat. He's got nine lives and just keeps surviving, no matter the situation. Hudson's underlying metrics are bad, but teams can't seem to score on him. If you look down the charts, he's among the luckiest pitchers in the sport. Hudson's expected ERA (4.96) is two runs lower than his actual ERA (2.96) and his MLB Statcast Pitching Profile is a disaster:

Even still, the 27-year-old former first round pick has given up just one run in his last two starts and faces a Rays lineup today that ranks 29th in OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last two weeks. His luck just won't end.

On the other end, Springs has been excellent since transitioning from a reliever to starter. His expected ERA of 2.99 is among the better pitchers in MLB and he's maintained a high strikeout rate while limiting baserunners. Springs hasn't given up more than two runs in any of his last four starts, and his MLB Statcast pitching profile looks much more like that of a great starter than Hudson's:

That's more like it! Springs' excellent form should continue against a Cardinals team that's just 1-4 in their last five as a road underdog.

The regression monster is coming for Hudson eventually, but the Rays lineup is slumping in a major way. They're among the worst offenses in the sport right now, so Hudson's luck may continue another week.

With how poorly Tampa is hitting, I can't trust them as -150 favorites. Instead, I'll look to the under. It's hit in four straight starts by Springs and is 4-1 in Hudson's last five. Expect a low-scoring contest with two strong defenses as Springs shuts St. Louis down and Hudson benefits from a weak Rays lineup.

Pick: Under 7.5 (-105)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.