It's time to continue our MLB odds series with a Twins-Mariners prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Twins Mariners.

The Seattle Mariners lost another game in the standings on Saturday. They watched the Houston Astros come from 6-1 down to score eight straight runs and beat the Mets in New York. Seattle then got dominated by Pablo Lopez and the Minnesota bullpen in a 5-1 loss to the Twins. The Mariners' lead in the American League West had been 10 games not that long ago. Now it is 4.5 games, the Astros are feeling good about themselves, and suddenly some fear is creeping into the Mariners' world. They had a chance to bury the American League West, which has been subpar this whole season, but they have let Houston back into the conversation. The Astros seem primed to create real drama in the American League West. The Mariners have elite pitching, but we keep seeing — as was the case on Saturday — that their bats are not ready for October, and that they will need at least one high-end bat before the trade deadline.

The next few weeks will be critical in shaping the rest of the season. Do the Mariners make a little push and keep Houston at arm's length at the All-Star break, or will the Astros gain even more ground and create a near-deadlock at the break? If the pendulum does swing in one direction or another, that could affect the decisions the M's and Astros are about to make at the deadline.

Twins-Mariners Projected Starters 

Joe Ryan vs. Luis Castillo

Joe Ryan (5-5) has a 3.31 ERA. He isn't dominant ace-level pitcher, but Ryan is certainly a pitcher who will be one of the Twins' three starters in the American League Wild Card Series if that scenario plays out after 162 games. He is solid and generally reliable, and over the course of a long regular season, that is more than half the battle in the big leagues. Ryan doesn't have to be a hero; he just needs to provide a reasonable degree of length for the pitching rotation and keep his team in games. You can see from his road splits that he is averaging a little more than six innings per road start. That will definitely get the job done in this day and age. He's not a superstar on a national level, but Ryan is definitely appreciated and respected by his teammates for his professionalism and consistency. They have meant a lot to the Twins, and they will be needed in the coming months.

Last Start: Tuesday, June 25 versus the Arizona Diamondbacks: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 HR, 0 BB, 5 K

2024 Road Splits: 8 starts, 49 1/3 IP, 40 H, 18 R, 8 HR, 9 BB, 50 K

Luis Castillo (6-9) has a 3.79 ERA. Castillo can still be lights-out at times, but he also serves up some clunkers and some very ordinary performances. His last game against the Rays was a decidedly ordinary outing, with four walks in just over five innings. That is not the Castillo standard. His season is, broadly viewed, not terrible, but it also doesn't rise to Castillo's own expectations for himself. He should be better, and the M's need him to be better.

Last Start: Tuesday, June 25 versus the Tampa Bay Rays: 5 1/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 HR, 4 BB, 4 K

2024 Home Splits: 8 starts, 48 2/3 IP, 44 H, 17 R, 6 HR, 9 BB, 55 K

Here are the Twins-Mariners MLB Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

MLB Odds: Twins-Mariners Odds

Minnesota Twins: -1.5 (+146)

Moneyline: -118

Seattle Mariners: +1.5 (-176)

Moneyline: +100

Over: 7.5 (+100)

Under: 7.5 (-122)

How To Watch Twins vs. Mariners

Time: 4:10 p.m. ET/1:10 p.m. PT

TV: Bally Sports North (Twins) / Root SportsNet Northwest (Mariners) / MLB Extra Innings

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Twins Could Cover The Spread

Joe Ryan is a more consistent pitcher in 2024 than Luis Castillo. That's why the Twins will cover the spread. The Mariners are also in the midst of a bad hitting funk. The Twins have more and better weapons.

Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread

Luis Castillo will bounce back with a big performance after his mediocre start several days ago versus the Rays. That will be enough to cover the spread.

Final Twins-Mariners Prediction & Pick

It's hard to bet against the Mariners' pitching, and hard to trust the Mariners' hitting. Pass on this one.

Final Twins-Mariners Prediction & Pick: Mariners +1.5