The Seattle Mariners take on the Oakland Athletics. Our MLB odds series has our Mariners Athletics prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Mariners Athletics.

The Seattle Mariners are part of two big baseball dramas: one in the American League West, one in the American League wild card race. They are tied with the Texas Rangers in the standings. In the A.L. West, that puts Seattle and Texas 1.5 games behind the Houston Astros. In the wild card race, that puts the M's and Rangers one game behind the Toronto Blue Jays, tied for the third and final wild card spot.

One big thing to keep in mind as the Mariners prepare for this game in Oakland on Tuesday is that they will play seven games against the Rangers in the remainder of the season — three in Texas and four to conclude the regular season in Seattle from September 28 through October 1. In the new world of the wild card series — which is basically a playoff involving the final few teams to make the playoffs — there is no longer a “Game 163,” a one-game playoff to break a tie before a playoff series begins. Now, there are tiebreakers which decide a tie in the standings if two teams are even through Game 162. Texas and Seattle will establish who gets the tiebreaker in their seven games head to head. Assuming one team wins the tiebreaker, that team will fail to make the playoffs for only one reason: It collapses in the other games left on the schedule. The Mariners could win four of seven from Texas down the stretch, but if they stumble against the A's, they could still be left out. It is crucial for Seattle — just as it is for Texas against the Boston Red Sox — to hold serve and make sure no leverage is ceded in these last two weeks.

Here are the Mariners-Athletics MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Mariners-Athletics Odds

Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (-134)

Oakland Athletics: +1.5 (+112)

Over: 7.5 (-102)

Under: 7.5 (-120)

How To Watch Mariners vs. Athletics

TV: Root Sports (Mariners) / NBC Sports California (A's) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: MLB.tv

Time: 9:40 p.m. ET/6:40 p.m. PT

*Watch Mariners-Athletics LIVE on fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread

The Mariners are 10-1 against the A's this season. This has been a lopsided matchup in 2023, and it was lopsided in 2022. There's a Grand Canyon-sized gulf between the teams, and the Mariners have made sure their talent advantage translates into results. More than the 10-1 head-to-head number, the bigger reason to take Seattle here is that Luis Castillo is on the hill for the M's. Castillo is the team's ace. He is a big-game pitcher. This is a big game. Castillo has been very strong in recent weeks, and there's no reason to think he won't do well here, especially after Seattle shut out Oakland on Monday night in the first game of this series.

Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread

The A's might not be a good team, but they have put up a fight against playoff contenders this season. They did not get swept in two different series against the Toronto Blue Jays. They did not get swept in a recent road series against the Texas Rangers. They recently won a series on the road against the Houston Astros. The A's aren't mailing it in. Just the opposite. They are relishing playing spoiler and can certainly make life difficult for the Mariners.

Final Mariners-Athletics Prediction & Pick

The Mariners' dominance of the Athletics, combined with their acute and urgent need to win this game and the fact that Luis Castillo is pitching, makes Seattle an easy choice.

Final Mariners-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Mariners -1.5