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The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Rays-Mariners prediction and pick.
Tampa Bay managed to steal the first game of this series on Thursday night, improving their record to 16-10. Every single win is huge for the Rays, as they play in one of the best divisions in the MLB. The AL East has three teams well above .500, including the 18-7 New York Yankees. The Mariners are in a somewhat similar situation. The AL West has quietly turned into a competitive division, with the Los Angeles Angels and the Houston Astros battling for the title. The Mariners have been left behind despite high preseason expectations. Seattle is only 12-14, so they desperately need to turn things around soon in order to keep pace with the rest of the division.
Here are the Rays-Mariners MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rays-Mariners Odds
Tampa Bay Rays: +1.5 (-192) ML (+110)
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+158) ML (-130)
Over: 7 (-114)
Under: 7 (-106)
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Why The Rays Could Cover The Spread
It looks like the Rays will pitch a bullpen game here. They're set to start pitcher Matt Wisler, who's been fantastic this season. He's posted a 1.50 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP over twelve innings. It helps that Wisler is familiar with the role of an opener, as he's already started a couple of games this season. The Tampa Bay bullpen won't have to deal with a tough offense, as the Mariners have been among the worst hitting teams in all of baseball. Overall, this isn't a terrible matchup for the Rays pitching staff.
Momentum is a proven factor in sports, and the Mariners have exactly none of it. Seattle has lost their last four games in a row while dropping eight of their last nine contests. That stretch includes a sweep at the hands of the Astros, and series defeats against the Rays and the lowly Miami Marlins. The Mariners have just been playing terrible baseball lately, and it would be a surprise to see things turn around in this game.
Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread
The Mariners have a huge pitching advantage in this game. Seattle is set to start Logan Gilbert here. Gilbert has been nothing short of fantastic for the Mariners this year, earning a ridiculous 0.64 ERA and .93 WHIP over five starts and 28 innings of work. Those are some of the best numbers in the league, and Gilbert has earned them against good offenses. In his start against the Chicago White Sox, the righty went five innings without allowing a run. In his next game against the Rays, he pitched nearly six innings of two-hit baseball. Gilbert is clearly pitching well, and he has a good history against Tampa Bay. Another good outing is certainly possible here.
Seattle should benefit hugely from playing on their home field in this one. The Mariners have been a significantly better offensive team when they play at home, earning a higher batting average, OBP, OPS, and slugging percentage compared to their road stats. They're also 7-3 in T-Mobile Park this year, showing just how much playing at home helps them.
Final Rays-Mariners Prediction & Pick
Neither side of the money line looks appealing here. Instead, the under is the best pick on the board. The Mariners have been terrible offensively, and Gilbert should pitch another gem here. Expect a low-scoring affair in this one.
Final Rays-Mariners Pick: Under 7 (-106)
