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The Seattle Mariners will meet the Cleveland Guardians this weekend, with both teams looking to cement their playoff status further. It's time to look at our MLB odds series with a Mariners-Guardians prediction and pick.
It is a possible playoff preview as the Mariners face off with the Guardians this weekend. The Mariners went 17-10 in August, have won four in a row, and are 7-2 over nine games. Additionally, they are 38-30 on the road. Seattle currently sits in the second wildcard spot in the American League. Likewise, they still have a chance at home-field in the wildcard round. The Guardians went 16-11 in August and still lead the AL Central. However, their lead is now just one game. Cleveland is 4-6 over 10 games. When the squads met last weekend, the Mariners took three of four from the Guardians.
Luis Castillo will pitch for the Mariners today. Castillo is 5-5 with a 2.85 ERA. Recently, he tossed six innings while allowing one earned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts. Castillo managed to get 21 swinging strikes. Likewise, he has been solid since joining the Mariners and has allowed seven earned runs over three outings.
Zach Plesac is the man on the mound for the Guardians. Plesac went 1-2 with a 4.70 ERA over four starts in August. Plesac is 3-11 with a 4.39 ERA overall. Recently, he went seven innings in his last start, allowing three earned runs on three hits. All three runs came via the solo home run.
Here are the Mariners-Guardians MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mariners-Guardians Odds
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+122)
Cleveland Guardians: +1.5 (-146)
Over: 7.5 (-114)
Under: 7.5 (-106)
Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread
The Mariners have thrived off pitching. Yes, Castillo is an excellent addition to the team. But their bullpen has looked solid throughout the year. In their series with the Guardians last weekend, Seattle relievers allowed three earned runs over 12 2/3 innings. Additionally, many of the games were low-scoring or close. Their pitching needs support, and the offense must deliver.
Julio Rodriguez is batting .266 with 21 home runs, 65 RBIs, and 67 runs. However, he hit poorly against the Guardians, batting .067 (1 for 15), with his only hit resulting in a solo home run. Ty France is batting .282 with 16 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 48 runs. Significantly, he batted .286 (2 for 7) in the series against the Guardians. Eugenio Suarez is hitting .231 with 25 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 64 runs. Unfortunately, he also batted poorly, scoring a mark of .143 (2 for 14) with one home run, one RBI, and two runs over four contests.
Castillo is still an ace and someone Seattle could depend on. The Mariners will cover the spread if they get a good outing out of him. Moreover, Seattle hopes he can go six, maybe seven, innings and give the bullpen a rest. Meanwhile, the offense must deliver. Rodriguez, France, and Suarez are the best bats in the lineup, and all must come through to give Seattle a chance.
Why The Guardians Could Cover The Spread
The Guardians are fighting for their playoff lives, with their lead slipping to one game. They must go out and pitch well while producing at the plate. Plesac has excellent stuff but must keep the ball in the ballpark. Additionally, he has a great bullpen behind him. Last week, Cleveland relievers allowed one run (none earned) through 8 2/3 innings of work against the Mariners.
Jose Ramirez is batting .284 with 26 home runs, 106 RBIs, and 72 runs. He has the tools to dominate. Conversely, it did not go well for Ramirez last weekend. He went 3 for 15 from the plate with one home run, two RBIs, and two runs. He must do more in this series to give the Guardians a better chance of winning. Amed Rosario is batting .283 with eight home runs, 52 RBIs, and 70 runs. He was not too bad against Seattle last weekend, batting .294 (5 for 17) with one run over four games. There is still more work to do. Josh Naylor is batting .261 with 16 home runs, 61 RBIs, and 35 runs this season. Unfortunately, he also struggled against Seattle, batting .133 (2 for 15) with two RBIs.
The Guardians will cover the spread if Plesac keeps his stat line as clean as possible. Also, he needs support from the bullpen and the bats to get the job done.
Final Mariners-Guardians Prediction & Pick
Seattle is hot right now, and Cleveland is not. Likewise, expect the hotter team to take advantage of a team struggling to score. The Mariners might meet the Guardians again in the playoffs. Thus, it will be an excellent test to see how well they match up with the Guardians in a game played in Cleveland. After taking three of four from the Guardians last weekend, the Mariners will continue to roll.
Final Mariners-Guardians Prediction & Pick: Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+122)
