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An epic AL West showdown will be in the works when the Houston Astros take on the Seattle Mariners. Join us for our MLB odds series where our Astros-Mariners prediction and pick will be revealed.
Entering play fresh off the heels of defeat in a series-opening loss to Seattle by a score of 3-2, it will be Houston that will look to get back on track. After winning six games in a row, the Astros have amassed a 4-5 record since. Overall, the ‘Stros have been underwhelming compared to recent championship-contending teams, but the pieces are still there to go on a mid-season run before it is too late. Being handed the baseball for the start on the mound will be righty Cristian Javier who happens to own a 3-1 record to go along with a 3.89 ERA.
On the other side of things, the Mariners haven't looked all that impressive this season, but their 29-26 record happens to be good enough for the first-place spot in the AL West. Currently, Seattle is 3.5 games up on the Texas Rangers for the throne out west. After facing a difficult stretch that resulted in the Mariners losing four in a row, Seattle has bounced back rather nicely with back-to-back wins over the Nationals and the Astros. Hoping to continue that same positive momentum will be Luis Castillo who isn't afraid of the spotlight. In his ninth season at the MLB level, Castillo has gone 4-6 with a 3.31 ERA.
Here are the MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Astros-Mariners Odds
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-200)
Moneyline: +110
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+164)
Moneyline: -130
Over: 7.5 (-115)
Under: 7.5 (-105)
How to Watch Astros vs. Mariners
Time: 9:40 ET/6:40 PT
TV: MLB.TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Astros Will Cover The Spread/Win
Houston's start to the marathon of the MLB season has been head-scratching, to say the least, but with the bodacious amount of championship talent that continues to exist on this roster, a swift turnaround may be in the cards for the Astros sooner rather than later.
Of course, there is still plenty of work to be done for first-year manager Joe Espada and company. After spending the past six years as bench coach for former boss Dusty Baker, Espada has a strong familiarity of what it means to win at a high level in “The Space City”. Despite that process taking its sweet time in 2024, the Astros' main priority to get the job done up in the Pacific Northwest is to rely on an offense that loves to rip the cover off the baseball.
Although Houston's record left much to be desired, their offense does not. Believe it or not, but the Astros own the best batting average in all of baseball with a .264 mark. Furthermore, the team also boasts top-five averages in on-base and slugging percentages. At the end of the day, the biggest reason that Houston may come out on top is due to their blistering hot offense.
Why The Mariners Will Cover The Spread/Win
It hasn't been all rainbows and butterflies for this Mariners squad, but they have done just enough heading into the final days of May to be the top dogs in the division.
Following the narrow victory over the Astros in game one, the Mariners will once again try to string together a perfect formula from the mound. Last time out, it was starter Bryce Miller who finally got the losing monkey off his back with his first victory of the young season.
Above all else, Seattle will be keeping their fingers crossed that Luis Castillo can keep the train rolling in terms of pitching success. As a whole, Seattle ranks at the top of the league in quality starts (32), and WHIP (1.09), and is also ninth in earned run average (3.66). Clearly, there are very few pitching units that are on Seattle's level, and if they happen to be clicking on all cylinders in this one, then the Astros bats could be in for a long day.
For how dominant Seattle's pitching has been, their offense has been nearly the opposite of that. Woefully, the Mariners are a bottom-five hitting team in nearly every statistic and are waiting for any possible moment for the sticks to wake up.
Perhaps outfielder Julio Rodriguez is finally awakening from his slumber. After belting 60 home runs in his first two seasons at the professional level, the Mariners slugger has gotten off to a slower-than-expected start in the power department, but he has happened to hit a home run in back-to-back games. Arguably enough, Seattle needs their best hitter to keep up the pace in order to down the Astros.
Final Astros-Mariners Prediction & Pick
The entertainment factor should be at an all-time high when these two division rivals go at it! Ultimately, side with the Astros to even up the score and cover the spread in doing so.
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Final Astros-Mariners Prediction & Pick: Astros +1.5 (-200)
