The Seattle Mariners will look to extend their three-game winning streak as they travel to Minute Maid Park to take on the slumping Houston Astros. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Mariners-Astros prediction and pick will be revealed.
Ahhh, the sweet taste of victory. After winning an absurd 14 games in a row, the Mariners came back down to Earth by losing a trio of consecutive contests shortly after. However, it appears that Seattle is back on the winning train. Looking to make it four straight wins will be the righty Logan Gilbert, who has had an impressive season with a 10-4 record to go along with a 2.77 ERA.
With an overall record of 64-35, the Astros are certainly not used to coming up short. With their own three-game skid under their wings, Houston is growing antsy to make a return back to the win column. Responsible for getting the Astros their 65th win of the season will be RHP Jose Urquidy, who has showcased his dominant arsenal with a 9-3 record and 3.93 ERA.
Here are the Mariners-Astros MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mariners-Astros Odds
Seattle Mariners: +1.5 (-164)
Houston Astros: -1.5 (+136)
Over: 8.5 (-108)
Under: 8.5 (112)
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Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread
Although Seattle may still trail the Astros out in the AL West by ten games, the Mariners have reeled off so many wins of late that they are now in firm position of a Wild Card spot in the American League. Even with the amount of winning taking place, it will be extremely vital for the Mariners to stay hot during the last couple months of the campaign.
In regards to their matchup on the road against the Astros, Seattle will need a few things to go their way in order to make possibly one last push at the division over the course of the next few days. While absolutely dominating the Rangers to cap off a six-game home stand, Seattle showcased their grittiness by edging out Texas in crunch time.
If Seattle is going to cover the spread, look no further than rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez to leave the yard yet again. Yesterday, the 21-year-0ld superstar in the making connected on a three-run bomb in the seventh inning to give Seattle the lead and eventually the win. The young slugger officially introduced himself to the rest of the baseball world during the Home Run Derby when he clubbed 81 balls out of Dodger Stadium.
Another reason that the Mariners might cover the spread is their elite pitching staff. Arguably with a top-five staff in all of the land, the Mariners possess the third-most quality starts in the majors. A huge boost for Seattle in this one would be a stellar performance from Logan Gilbert, who is coming off a six-inning outing where he only surrendered two runs and fanned eight men in the process.
Why The Astros Could Cover The Spread
During these two clubs' first 19 meetings this season, Houston has come out on top in nine of them. In fact, the last time these two teams faced off saw the Astros put some gloom on Seattle's lengthy winning streak by completing a three-game sweep of their division rivals only about a week ago. While bringing out the brooms will be a challenge even in front of their home crowd, winning two of three won't be out of the question.
After a dreadful series that saw the Astros get swept themselves in Oakland, there's nothing quite like home. At Minute Maid Park, the ‘Stros have been nothing short of remarkable. With a 30-14 record, opposing squads hoping to come away with a win in the “Space City” usually have been squashed during 2022.
One thing that the Astros need to improve on from their series at Oakland is simply pitching the ball more with more efficiency. In those three games, Houston starters combined for an 0-3 record with a swelling 7.47 ERA. While a few games during a 162-game season may not be a cause for concern, the fact that their struggles came against one of the worst hitting teams in the league in the A's. Nevertheless, consider it a slight hiccup for a usually pretty dominant pitching bunch. With a 3.06 team ERA through their first 99 games, not many other teams have matched the Astros from the pitching rubber this season.
Additionally, the Astros will look to put up the offense at the plate to take the pressure off of the arms. Houston may be only slashing a collective .239, but this unit is nothing to scoff at. With a highly productive .424 slugging percentage, Astros hitters can change the course of a game with one swing of the bat.
Final Mariners-Astros Prediction & Pick
While the Astros haven't lost four straight since April, the Mariners have only lost three games in the past month combined. Acting as the +1.5 run underdogs, Gilbert is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts versus the Astros this season, giving bettors enough faith to put their trust in Seattle on this Thursday evening.
Final Mariners-Astros Prediction & Pick: Mariners +1.5 (-164)
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