The Seattle Mariners will attempt to finish the three-game road sweep as they take on the Oakland Athletics on Thursday afternoon. It's time to continue our MLB odds coverage with a Mariners-Athletics prediction and pick.
The Mariners shut out the Athletics 9-0 in front of a quiet crowd at the Oakland Coliseum. Seattle already led 1-0 in the second inning when Cal Raleigh slapped a solo home run to deep center field. It was his 9th in 2022, making it 2-0 Seattle. Later, the Mariners led 3-0 in the fifth inning when Jesse Winkler cracked a two-run bomb to deep center field. It was his sixth home run in 2022, giving Seattle a 5-0 cushion. The Mariners piled on in the same inning as J.P. Crawford slugged an RBI double that drove in two runners. The Mariners never looked back.
George Kirby was efficient for the Mariners, tossing six innings while not allowing an earned run on five hits. Alternatively, Paul Blackburn had his worst outing of the year, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits through four-plus innings. Everything fell apart in the fifth inning and Blackburn had no hope for recourse. The Mariners are now 31-39 and in fourth place in the AL West. Meanwhile., the Athletics are 23-47 and in fifth place.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Mariners-Athletics odds:
MLB odds: Mariners-Athletics Odds
Mariners: -1.5 (+134)
Athletics: +1.5 (-162)
Over: 7 (-115)
Under: 7 (-105)
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Why the Mariners Could Cover The Spread
The Mariners have won the two games by a combined 17-2 score. They even demolished Blackburn, the undisputed best pitcher the A's have. Additionally, they are 2-0 in games at Oakland Coliseum. The Mariners are 16-21 on the road in 2022.
Seattle will go with 2021 Cy-Young winner Robbie Ray on the mound. Ray is 6-6 with a 4.25 ERA in 2022. He has struggled this season but pitched much better over the last two starts. Ray had a no-hitter going through 6 2/3 innings before allowing a disputed hit. He allowed one earned run to the Los Angeles Angels before departing the game. Ray has allowed one earned run over two starts and hit seven innings in both games. He is 0-1 against the Athletics in 2022 as he allowed three earned runs with seven hits through six innings in a hard-luck loss to the A's in the last clash. Ray hopes for better results this time and needs an inconsistent bullpen to do their part. The Mariners rank 17th in team bullpen ERA.
The offense has done well in this series but is not doing well in 2022. The Mariners rank 23rd in batting average, 11th in on-base percentage, 25th in runs, 14th in home runs, and 20th in slugging percentage. Eugenio Suarez, Ty France, Julio Rodriguez, and Winkler are their best weapons. Suarez has 13 home runs with 36 RBIs, France has 10 home runs with 45 RBIs and Rodriguez has nine home runs with 33 RBIs. Likewise, Winkler has chipped in six home runs with 29 RBIs.
The Mariners will cover the spread if Ray continues his recent success. Likewise, the bullpen must hold the fort for him. The offense must continue their roll as the core four in this lineup needs to produce.
Why The Athletics Could Cover The Spread
Coming into this series, the A's had previously won two of three games against the Mariners. It was one of the few bright spots in a bad season. The past two games have not gone well. The A's must take down a Cy-Young winner who will present a tough challenge.
Frankie Montas takes the hill for the Athletics. Montas is 3-7 with a 3.57 ERA in 2022. He has been a hard-luck loser often this season, as the run support has not been there. Montas went five innings in his last start, allowing three earned runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and three walks. He has allowed eight earned runs over a two-start stretch and his up-and-down season rolls on. Montas does not have a good bullpen behind him, as Oakland relievers rank 25th in team bullpen ERA.
The offense has been equally morbid. Oakland ranks 30th in team batting average, 30th in on-base percentage, 29th in runs, 29th in home runs, and 29th in slugging percentage. The Athletics do not hit the ball at all. Seth Brown is their only weapon, as he has nine home runs with 32 RBIs. The Athletics will cover the spread if they can get a great start out of Montas. Additionally, they need to muster up more than one run.
Final Mariners-Athletics Prediction & Pick
The Mariners are the better team, but they are not a dominant team. They are prone to mistakes and bad games. Logic says the Mariners should cruise. Then it is easy to remember that Ray already lost to these A's. Expect the Athletics to cover the spread and keep it close. They will either win by one run or lose by one run. There does not seem to be any other option for this one.
Final Mariners-Athletics Prediction & Pick: Athletics: +1.5 (-162)
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