The Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers will wrap up their three-game series Sunday afternoon in Texas. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes our Mariners-Rangers prediction and pick we have laid out below.
The Seattle Mariners are in second place in the AL West, with a 62-53 record. Currently, Seattle owns the second Wild Card spot, but is a distant 12 games behind the division-leading Houston Astros. The team has been solid on the road, with a 31-27 record.
Texas is in the midst of a rebuild, at 50-63 and an insurmountable 23 games behind Houston. Texas’ home record leaves a lot to be desired, going 24-32 in their home ballpark. Key pieces are in place, but this club needs to take the next step in 2023.
Here are the Mariners-Rangers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Mariners-Rangers Odds
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+132)
Texas Rangers: +1.5 (-160)
Over: 8 (-104)
Under: 8 (-118)
Why The Mariners Could Cover The Spread
Seattle has impressed this season, and although it likely won’t be enough to surpass Houston, making the playoffs may warrant a holiday in the Pacific Northwest.
Logan Gilbert, Sunday afternoon’s starting pitcher, is a huge reason for that potential playoff spot, going 10-5 with a 3.47 ERA in 23 starts. Gilbert throws one of the harder fastballs among starting pitchers, with an average of 96 MPH. Batters have hit just .238 against Gilbert’s curveball, a pitch he throws 14% of the time. Seattle’s bullpen has a 3.38 ERA, ranking eighth in the league. Erik Swanson has been the Mariners’ most productive reliever, with a 1.01 ERA in 37 appearances. Closer Paul Sewald has pitched to a 2.31 ERA with his reworked arsenal, earning 15 saves in 46.2 innings.
Seattle’s offense ranks in the middle of the pack in almost all categories.
Eugenio Suarez has been one of the Mariners’ most productive players, with 19 home runs and 61 RBIs, both team leads. Julio Rodriguez has returned from his wrist injury, and is hitting .273 with 18 home runs and 21 stolen bases. First-time All-Star Ty France has been extremely productive, with a .294 batting average and 14 home runs. Jesse Winker has been up and down this season, but is always productive with his walks, walking at a 15.3% rate that ranks in the 99th percentile.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
Texas’ whirlwind offseason has propelled them to one of the better offenses in the league, but alas, not a winning record.
Texas has hit 138 home runs, ranking ninth in the league. Seven Rangers have hit double-digit home runs, led by new shortstop Corey Seager’s 26 blasts. Seager’s .806 OPS also leads the team. Marcus Semien, also acquired this offseason, has hit 17 home runs and stolen 19 bases, leading the team in both categories. Adolis Garcia, who broke out in 2021, has kept up that pace in 2022, with 19 home runs and 16 stolen bases. Garcia also leads the team with 72 RBIs. Nathaniel Lowe leads the team with a .284 batting average.
Martin Perez, enjoying a resurgent 2022, has pitched to a 2.85 ERA in his 22 starts. Perez has a sterling 2.70 ERA in 11 home starts. Perez does not possess elite fastball velocity, instead relying on an even mix between his five pitches. Batters have hit below .260 against all five of his offerings. Texas has a 3.75 bullpen ERA, which ranks 11th in baseball. Brock Burke has been a revelation, pitching to a 1.34 ERA in his 60.2 innings. Matt Moore has a 2.00 ERA in his 54 innings, striking out 59 batters.
Final Mariners-Rangers Prediction & Pick
In the end, let’s give the edge to the veteran Perez.
Final Mariners-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Texas +1.5 (-160), under 8 (-118)
