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The Houston Astros take on the Seattle Mariners. Check out our MLB odds series for our Astros Mariners prediction and pick.
Justin Verlander gets the ball for the Astros, while Chris Flexen gets the start for the Mariners.
Justin Verlander is a leading candidate — again — for the American League Cy Young Award. He has a 1.22 ERA. He has not allowed a run since May 4. He has pitched 19 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. He has allowed more than one run in only two of his eight starts, never more than three runs. Though he is getting older, he still hasn't lost the mustard on his fastball. One can identify other American League pitchers who have been brilliant in the first two months of the season, but as great as Martin Perez of the Rangers and Nestor Cortes of the Yankees have been, Verlander is the big name who will be hard to unseat from the favorite's position in the Cy Young race if he continues to establish such a high standard. He is a central component of this game, and of any attempt to make an Astros Mariners prediction.
Chris Flexen has a 4.98 ERA. He started the season well, much as the Mariners (11-6 through their first 17 games) did. Then he lost his way, mirroring Seattle's downward slide. In Flexen's first five starts, he never gave up more than three runs. In those five starts, he pitched 29 innings and gave up 10 runs. In his last three starts, however, Flexen has pitched 14 1/3 innings and surrendered 14 runs. Flexen, like the Mariners, needs to get his groove back. He has a chance to change the equation for any Astros Mariners pick you might make, based on the current MLB odds.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Astros-Mariners MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Astros-Mariners Odds
Houston Astros: -1.5 (-113)
Seattle Mariners: +1.5 (-106)
Over: 7.5 (+102)
Under: 7.5 (-124)
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Why The Astros Could Cover the Spread
They have Justin Verlander and the Mariners do not. They are a good team and the Mariners are not. Houston has lost only three times this season when scoring at least three runs. The Astros have lost Carlos Correa to the Minnesota Twins and — while suffering a little on offense — have still maintained their pitching and defense. This is a strong team which relies on the qualities which define great baseball teams. Everyone will have a spasm of offense and win some blowouts. The best teams win 3-2 or 3-1 games with regularity, and the Astros do that. They are winning even though their bats haven't really busted loose for more than one week or 10 days at a time in a few select instances this season. An Astros Mariners prediction doesn't require too much study.
Why The Mariners Could Cover the Spread
After falling into the American League West basement, the Mariners know that time is already running short even though May isn't yet over. This team needs to start winning now if it is going to have any chance of competing for a wild card spot. The division championship is probably beyond hope at this point, but with no one running away with the wild card in the American League (the Rays and Angels are both eight games over .500), the Mariners can still make a push, but they have to get going. Seattle's urgency is the best reason to take the home team in an Astros Mariners pick.
Final Astros-Mariners Prediction & Pick
This is a huge game for the Mariners, which might inspire them to win, but the Astros have Justin Verlander. That's the hammer in this matchup. Take Houston.
Final Astros-Mariners Prediction & Pick: Astros -1.5
