Subscribe
Follow Us
The Seattle Mariners have won 12 in a row and will look to make it 13 as they take on the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park on Saturday afternoon. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Mariners-Rangers prediction and pick.
The Mariners defeated the Rangers 8-3 on Friday to win their 12th game in a row. The M's already led 2-0 in the fourth inning when Julio Rodriguez clipped an RBI single to left-center field to make it 3-0. Later, Corey Seager smashed an absolute monster shot to deep center field. It was his 22nd in 2022 and seventh in 10 games, putting the Rangers on the board. Leody Taveras went deep the opposite way in the seventh for a two-run homer that just crossed over the right-field wall. The home run was the third of the year, cutting the deficit to 4-3 Mariners. Ultimately, the Mariners would finish the Rangers off.
Rodriguez came up to bat with the bases loaded and left no question about the outcome of this game when he leveled a shot to deep center field. The grand slam was his 15th home run of 2022, putting the Mariners up 8-3. Seattle's win streak has vaulted them into second place in the AL wildcard standings, and they look to keep the streak going over the final two games.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Mariners-Rangers odds:
MLB odds: Mariners-Rangers Odds
Mariners: -1.5 (+112)
Rangers: +1.5 (-134)
Over: 8 (-118)
Under: 8 (-104)
*Watch MLB Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
Why The Mariners Could Cover the Spread
The Mariners are on fire right now. When their season began, they started slowly, as the hitting was bad and their pitching had not gotten the job done.
Logan Gilbert will go for the Mariners today. Gilbert is 10-3 with a 2.80 ERA. He tossed six innings in his last start, allowing four earned runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts. Also, he allowed two home runs. Gilbert is 5-1 with a 3.45 ERA over eight starts since June 1. Subsequently, he has excelled on the road, where he is 6-1 with a 2.47 ERA over 10 road starts. Gilbert has faced the Rangers twice this season. He is 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA over two starts against the Rangers. Additionally, Gilbert went six innings in a start at Globe Life, allowing one earned run on five hits.
Rodriguez is a significant reason the Mariners are streaking right now. He is batting .275 with 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 52 runs. Moreover, Rodriguez is batting .292 with three home runs, 11 RBIs, and nine runs over 12 games in July.
Seattle is getting key hits at the right time. They also are finding ways to score in different varieties. Subsequently, the long ball is not all they know how to do. They scored their first four runs by getting clutch hits. Then, Rodriguez finished it off with a grand slam. By learning how to diversify their offense, the Mariners have improved their all-around game and flourished.
The Mariners will cover the spread if they keep the offense rolling and keep producing. Likewise, Seattle must get another solid performance from Gilbert. The Mariners are fifth in the majors in earned runs average, and Gilbert has been a large contributor to that plight.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
The Rangers had some hope not long ago, but it is feeble now. Still, they come into this game with a team capable of inflicting damage when they need to.
Spencer Howard will pitch for the Rangers. Howard is 1-1 with an 8.04 ERA. He tossed five innings, allowing two runs (one earned) with six strikeouts in his last game. Now, Howard will attempt to throw over five innings. It is a feat that has eluded him, and one that he hopes he can accomplish today. Additionally, Howard is 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA in two career starts against the Mariners. He did not go over three innings in either start.
Meanwhile, the Texas offense has produced inconsistent numbers. The Rangers are mired in mediocrity offensively but have four guys that can do damage. Seager, Kole Calhoun, Adolis Garcia, and Marcus Semien are the best weapons the Rangers have. Seager is batting .333 (2 for 6) with an RBI against Gilbert. Likewise, Calhoun is batting .400 (2 for 5) with an RBI against Gilbert. Garcia is batting .267 (4 for 15) with an RBI against Gilbert. However, Semien is 1 for 9 against Gilbert. None of these hitters have hit a home run against Gilbert yet.
The Rangers will cover the spread if Howard can last five or more innings and the core four hitters produce on offense.
Final Mariners-Rangers Prediction & Pick
The Mariners are the hottest team in baseball and sending one of their best pitchers on the mound. Additionally, they are facing one of the worst pitchers the Rangers have to offer. Combine those two factors and it spells a recipe for continued success.
Final Mariners-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Mariners: -1.5 (+112)
