A pair of AL West foes will square off under the lights of Angels Stadium in Anaheim as the Seattle Mariners duel it out with the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Let's take an exclusive look at our MLB odds series where our Mariners-Angels prediction and pick will be made.
After narrowly being bested by the Angels by a score of 5-4 on Friday, the Mariners saw their record drop to 30-32 as they are a whopping 10 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers. Losers in seven of their last nine games overall, the Mariners will call upon Bryan Woo against the Angels, who is 0-1 with an insanely giant 27.00 ERA in his lone start of the year.
As for the Angels, Los Angeles has won five in a row and could be turning the corner right before our eyes. Thanks to their recent winning stretch, the Angels are right in the thick of the near mid-season playoff chase as they are 6.5 games back of the division lead and 1.5 games back of the second and final Wild Card spot. In line for the Saturday start for LA will be lefty Patrick Sandoval and his 3-5 record and 4.14 ERA.
Here are the Mariners-Angels MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mariners-Angels Odds
Seattle Mariners: +1.5 (-164)
Los Angeles Angels: -1.5 (+136)
Over: 9 (-124)
Under: 9 (+102)
How To Watch Mariners vs. Angels
TV: MLB Network/Root Sports Northwest
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 10:07 ET/7:07 PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread
Most importantly, the Mariners need to change their approach on the road, where they are 13-17 overall thus far this year. When taking a closer glance, Seattle's offense has been the surprising reason for their 2023 struggles. If anything is going to spoil the fun on Saturday night, it is the fact the Mariners possess hitting numbers near the bottom of the league even with names like Julio Rodriguez and Ty France on the roster.
Overall, Seattle has the third-worst batting average baseball, unable to light that same fire at the plate they relied on throughout last season.
More specifically, Seattle went an abysmal 1-7 with runners in scoring position during Friday's series-opening loss, costly struggles in a one-run defeat. Clearly, the Mariners just aren't making winning plays at the moment, and until this changes, then Seattle will continue to sink deeper and deeper into the cellar of the baseball world.
Luckily, the best way for the Mariners to cover the spread is in the form of a lethal pitching attack that has been dangerous all year. Not many teams around the MLB have been as formidable as Seattle nearing the halfway point of the season. The Mariners have logged 33 quality starts from starters, the highest number in the league.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
It has been well-documented on how badly the Angels need to make a playoff appearance this season, and over the course of the last five games, Los Angeles is proving it can corral a cluster of wins over a short period of time. While their record only sits at 35-30, there are certainly things to be encouraged about in regards to the Angels' recent play.
For starters, the Halos currently come into this matchup with a measly 32-33 record ATS, but they are more than eager to showcase their much-improved bullpen against a divisional rival in front of their home fans. All in all, what was a struggling bullpen to say the least has now gotten a youthful kick as five relievers who were on the roster on opening day are no longer with the team.
Instead, Los Angeles decided to call up the young bucks and their fresh arms to bring some life to the bullpen. A total of three relievers were promoted from the Triple-A ranks, a decision that has worked wonders for the organization. If Saturday's game on Saturday ends up being a nail-biter, the Angels may have the edge simply due to their newfound confidence on the mound in the backend of their bullpen.
Sandoval is also due to finally get the monkey off his back when it comes to getting his first win against the Mariners. He is a combined 0-3 in his career versus Seattle despite sporting a solid 2.45 ERA across seven starts. Simply put, Sandoval should be plenty motivated to get the job done later tonight with his eyes on the prize of picking up that victory.
Final Mariners-Angels Prediction & Pick
Certainly, both teams aren't very fond of one another, but expect the red-hot Angels to continue down the winning path en route to a spread-covering victory.
Final Mariners-Angels Prediction & Pick: Angels -1.5 (+136)
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