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The Houston Astros host the Seattle Mariners for Game 1 of the 4-game series! It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Mariners-Astros prediction and pick.
The Mariners are coming off a series win over the San Francisco Giants and have seen their record inch closer to .500. The Mariners are now (42-43) on the season and will now battle it out with the reigning champions. This will be an important series for the Mariners as they try and get above .500 for the first time in a while, and as the All-Star break is just ahead.
Houston is coming off a 2-game sweep over the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies are the worst team in the National League and didn't really show up to Houston at all. The Astros are playing elite baseball despite not having Yordan Alvarez in the lineup. Catcher Yainer Diaz smashed two homers in the win last night and the team has won eight of their last 10 games. The Astros are (49-38) on the season.
Here are the Mariners-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mariners-Astros Odds
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+132)
Houston Astros: +1.5 (-160)
Over: 8.5 (+100)
Under: 8.5 (-122)
How To Watch Mariners vs. Astros
TV: Root Sports Northwest, AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Stream: MLB Extra Innings, MLB TV
Time: 8:10 ET/5:10 PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread
On the bump for the Mariners is right-hander George Kirby. Kirby is (7-7) on the season with a respectable 3.21 ERA in 101 innings. He had a solid second half of the month of June where he allowed just seven runs in his last four starts combined. Kirby's numbers may not stand out, but he gets the job done for a rotation that desperately needs him to. Luis Castillo leads the way but if Kirby and Logan Gilbert are on their game then that is a 3-headed monster nobody wants to deal with in October. Kirby dominated the Tampa Bay Rays in his last start allowing two hits and two runs in the 8-3 win.
The Mariners were shut out yesterday but before that, they saw their offense score a ton of runs in their prior games. Ty France leads the way with his .267 batting average but they don't have anyone who can consistently get on base. Julio Rodriguez is not hitting at the level many thought he would at this point of the season, yet he will participate in the Home Run Derby in Seattle. Rodriguez has 13 homers and 47 RBIs on the campaign.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
At the time of publication, the Astros have yet to announce a starter. It will likely be an opener but Framber Valdez would be next in line in the rotation. Valdez is currently the favorite to win AL CY Young on FanDuel as the southpaw is having a phenomenal season. It looks like Valdez is slated to start Saturday night's game on FOX and Hunter Brown Friday night. The Astros have a team ERA of 3.61 which is nothing short of incredible. A bullpen day is still good enough to give them a win on any night if the offense remains as hot as they are now.
Even though Alvarez is injured, the Astros still find ways to smash. Kyle Tucker has 13 homers, Alex Bregman with 12, and Jeremy Pena with 10. Tucker was just added to the All-Star roster after Mike Trout injured his hand. Tucker is batting .293 (16th in MLB) with an OPS of .845 which is good for 31st in baseball. Once Alvarez returns and them having Jose Altuve back full time, the Astros will continue to have one of the top lineups in the game.
Final Mariners-Astros Prediction & Pick
I like the Mariners to stun the Astros on the road here and cover the spread. They have a lot to fight for as the second half of the season is around the corner.
Final Mariners-Astros Prediction & Pick: Mariners -1.5 (+132)
