Cubs vs. Rays prediction, odds, time: 2026 MLB picks for Monday, April 6 from proven model

The Chicago Cubs take on the Tampa Bay Rays in an interleague matchup in Tampa Bay's home opener on Monday afternoon. Chicago is coming off a doubleheader split with the Cleveland Guardians, winning 1-0 and losing 6-5, while Tampa Bay defeated Minnesota 4-1 on Sunday. The Cubs (4-5), who finished second in the National League Central at 92-70 a year ago, were 42-39 on the road. The Rays (4-5), who finished fourth in the American League East in 2025, were 41-40 on their home field.

First pitch Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., is set for 4:10 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay is a -124 favorite on the money line (risk $124 to win $100) in the latest Cubs vs. Rays odds, while the over/under is 8. Before making any Rays vs. Cubs picks, be sure to see the Cubs vs. Rays predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model. 

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It was a profitable 35-29 on top-rated MLB money-line picks last season. It also excelled making home run prop picks in 2025, returning nearly 30 units of profit. Anybody following its MLB betting picks at sportsbooks and on betting sites could have seen strong returns.    

Now, the model has set its sights on Cubs vs. Rays and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several MLB odds and betting lines for Rays vs. Cubs:

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Top Cubs vs. Rays predictions 

After 10,000 simulations of Cubs vs. Rays, the model is going Over 8 combined runs. Tampa Bay enters the game with MLB's sixth-best offense, hitting .265 on the season. The Rays also have the ninth-best slugging percentage at .391. Last season, Tampa Bay hit .251 as a team, ninth-best in MLB, while Chicago was 13th at .249. 

SportsLine's model projects more than 1.48 total bases for Michael Busch, Alex Bregman, Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Hoerner and Carson Kelly. The Rays, meanwhile, are projected to get over 1.5 total bases from Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero and Nick Fortes. The model projects 9.4 combined runs as the Over hits in 66% of simulations. Get the Cubs vs. Rays money-line pick at SportsLine.

How to make Cubs vs. Rays picks

After simulating every pitch of Cubs vs. Rays 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Cubs vs. Rays, and which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.