Subscribe
Follow Us
A premier AL West battle will be in the works on this Friday night as the Seattle Mariners take a trip back to Minute Maid Park to go up against the Houston Astros. With plenty of playoff implications on the line in this one, it is time to check out our MLB odds series where our Mariners-Astros prediction and pick will be revealed.
Now a season-high eleven games above the .500 mark, the Seattle Mariners are seeking to make the postseason in back-t0-back years for the first time since 2000-2001. Alas, the M's have reeled off 11 wins in their previous 14 overall and are seemingly clicking on all cylinders. En route for the Friday night start will be righty Bryce Miller who is 7-4 with a 4.04 ERA.
Having gone through the wringer injury-wise and surviving it with flying colors up to this point, the defending champs have their eyes on the prize. It has been 25 years since the MLB last saw a team when multiple championships in a row when the New York Yankees became a dynasty by winning three consecutive World Series titles from 1998-2000. With an absurd amount of talent and possessing the proper amount of coaching prowess with Dusty Baker at the helm, the Astros have a firm belief that come October, they can be champs again. With seven wins in their last ten, the Astros will turn to sizzling J.P France who is a splendid 9-3 with a 2.74 ERA.
Here are the Mariners-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mariners-Astros Odds
Seattle Mariners: +1.5 (-160)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+132)
Over: 8.5 (-110)
Under: 8.5 (-110)
How To Watch Mariners vs. Astros
TV: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Stream: 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
Not only are they one of baseball's hottest teams, but they also boast a tremendous balance of play that has helped them win a multitude of games in many different ways.
However, without a doubt, Seattle's most dangerous prowess on the diamond happens to fall on their arms out from the pitching mound. Indeed, what the Mariners have been able to accomplish during the 2023 regular season has been nothing but spectacular in how swiftly they are able to record outs. In fact, Seattle has marched to the tune of an undeniably elite 3.73 ERA which is the second-best mark in all of baseball along with the top WHIP in the league. Furthermore, Seattle's pitching has held opposing batters to only a minuscule .236 batting average. For obvious reasons alone, don't be surprised if expected starter Bryce Miller and the bullpen behind him are solely responsible in shutting down the Astros and covering the spread.
Additionally, it appears that outfielder Julio Rodriguez is starting to come into his own. After belting 28 home runs as a rookie, Rodriguez has compiled a whopping 12 hits in his last four games including a 5-5 performance that resulted in a handful of RBIs as well. Whenever a batter is as hot as Rodriguez is right now, it is truly a terrifying thing for opposing pitchers.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
Since dropping three of four games to the Mariners back on July 6th-9th, it has become quite evident that the Houston Astros have been an entirely different team since. A large reason in the Astros picking up their play has been due to the fact that they are finally healthy. After welcoming back Jose Altuve and Jordan Alvarez with open arms after they were sidelined with their respective injuries, the baseball world has finally been able to see what this team is made of with a clean bill of health.
Not to mention, the Astros pitching staff has become that much more lethal with the unexpected and meteoric rise of rookie J.P. France. Bafflingly enough, France is unbeaten over the course of his last eight starts and has gone 7-0 with a 1.85 ERA over that span. Even more impressive, he is tied for the most wins among the team's staff at this point in time and has recorded quality starts in 10 of his last 11 appearances overall. Simply put, this kid can twirl it with the best of them and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Final Mariners-Astros Prediction & Pick
At first glance, until J.P France is finally defeated while out on the mound, it is nearly impossible not to select the Astros to take care of business in front of their home fans on this Friday evening despite Seattle winning six road series in a row.
Final Mariners-Astros Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5 (+132)
