The Texas Rangers take on the Seattle Mariners. Check out our MLB odds series for our Rangers Mariners prediction and pick.

Dane Dunning gets the start for the Rangers, while George Kirby gets the assignment for the Mariners.

Dane Dunning has not pitched since July 10, one week before the All-Star break. This start comes six days into the second half of the season. Texas has played every day since Thursday, upon returning from the All-Star break. That tells you Dunning is at the back end of the rotation, or more precisely, the bottom of the Rangers' starting rotation. He has a 4.42 ERA. His ERA has been in the four-run range for most of the season. His monthly ERAs have been in the neighborhood of four runs. He is a four-run ERA pitcher … but in July, he has actually gotten worse. His two starts this month were both rough ones. He gave up nine runs in 7 2/3 innings. After more than two full weeks off, who knows what he will bring to the table on Tuesday night?

George Kirby has a 3.78 ERA, but he has actually pitched better than that for most of the season. He had two very sluggish outings in May, the first month in which he pitched for the Mariners in 2022. Since May 24, however, Kirby has given up more than three earned runs in only one start. His ERA for the month of July is 2.38. Kirby, like the Mariners themselves, got better in June and improved even more in early July. Seattle will need Kirby to maintain his upward trajectory if the M's are to break their two-decade-long playoff drought.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rangers-Mariners MLB odds.

MLB Odds: Rangers-Mariners Odds

Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-154)

Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+128)

Over: 8.5 (-105)

Under: 8.5 (-115)

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Why The Rangers Could Cover the Spread

The Rangers have some mashers on their team. Corey Seager has eight home runs in the month of July. Adolis Garcia, Jonah Heim, and Marcus Semien all have plenty of pop in their bats. The weather in Seattle is going to be hotter than normal for this game, which means the ball should jump off the bat and you should see multiple homers in the Pacific Northwest. The Rangers can play and win that kind of game. George Kirby is a good pitcher, but he is a young pitcher, and he hasn't pitched since July 8. If he is rusty, the Rangers can ambush him.

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Why The Mariners Could Cover the Spread

After beating Texas on Monday, the Mariners will come to the ballyard knowing they have the Rangers' number in 2022. Seattle is 9-2 against Texas this season, and the Mariners are getting Julio Rodriguez back in the lineup for this game. George Kirby, though having not pitched in nearly three weeks, performed really well just before the All-Star break and will have a fresh, live arm for this contest.

Final Rangers-Mariners Prediction & Pick

With two pitchers having not pitched in multiple weeks, this is a definite stay-away situation. If you must make a pick and need a pick, the Mariners' dominance of the Rangers offers a clear path: Take Seattle. You could also note that with the hot weather and the ball likely to fly off the bat, the over isn't a terrible play, though live-betting it might be the better route.

Final Rangers-Mariners Prediction & Pick: Mariners -1.5