The Tampa Bay Rays come into this game on a positive streak.
They recently defeated the Houston Astros, winning two games in a row (6-1 and 1-0).
This form shows that they are capable of putting in strong performances.

The Cardinals will rely on Sonny Gray, who is having a solid season (10-6 with a 3.72 ERA), but has been inconsistent in his last few starts.
In contrast, Jeffrey Springs will start for the Rays, who has a solid 3.42 ERA so far in his career.
Although Springs has only recently returned to the starting rotation, his historic performance shows that he could give the Cardinals problems.

The Cardinals have lost five of their last six games as favorites and have had trouble covering the run line in their last seven games.
This suggests that they are vulnerable, especially going into the game as favorites.

The Cardinals have some injury concerns, which could affect their performance.
Michael Siani, for example, is out indefinitely, which reduces the depth of their lineup.

Roman Safiullin has an overall 12-19 win-loss record this season, going 5-7 on hard courts.
Despite his mixed season, he has shown in the past that he can play strong on hard courts and has an overall positive record of 212-85 on hard courts.

Safiullin recently played in the Olympic Games and lost to the strong Carlos Alcaraz in the round of 16.
Davidovich Fokina, on the other hand, lost to Flavio Cobolli in a close match in the third round of the Citi Open.

The match will be played on hard court in Montreal, which suits both players, but Safiullin has shown solid performances on hard courts in the past.

Popyrin has put in solid performances this season, including a title in Houston where he defeated Frances Tiafoe in the final.
This ability to win against strong opponents speaks to his current form and mental strength.

Popyrin has an overall positive record of 126-95 on hard court. This surface suits him and he has shown in the past that he can perform well on hard court.

Popyrin is competing in the main draw of the Canadian Open for the first time after failing to qualify in recent years.
This extra motivation to prove himself on the big stage could help him perform at his best.

Royale Union SG have only lost twice in their last nine European away games.
This statistic shows that they are also competitive in foreign stadiums.

Union SG have started the new season strongly, including a 3-1 win over Beerschot and a 2-1 victory in the Belgian Supercup against Club Brugge.
Overall, they are unbeaten in their last 16 games, which boosts their confidence.

Slavia Prague have made a good start to the new season, but their offense has only scored five goals in the last three competitive matches.
Union SG could use this relative goal threat to keep the game close and possibly win.

Slavia Prague may have to do without their top scorer Vaclav Jurecka, who is in dispute with the club.
This could affect their attacking strength and give Union SG an advantage.