The Seattle Mariners take on the Kansas City Royals. Check out our MLB odds series for our Mariners Royals prediction and pick.
Logan Gilbert gets the ball for the Mariners, while Kris Bubic goes to the hill for the Royals.
Logan Gilbert is a very big reason the Mariners are in position to make the playoffs, leading the Baltimore Orioles by three games in the race for the American League’s final wild card berth with one and a half weeks left in the 2022 season. His 3.13 ERA and consistent production have stabilized the Mariner rotation, giving Seattle the depth and length it needs to manage its bullpen and win a lot of low-scoring games. The Mariners offense comes and goes, but the pitching has been reliable and steady. Gilbert is a big part of that. In his most recent start on Monday against the Angels, Gilbert stopped a three-game Seattle losing streak with a strong outing. Gilbert gave the Mariners exactly what they needed and calmed everyone in the dugout. Seattle needs that same kind of stopper-like performance in this contest versus the Royals.
Kris Bubic has been the weak link in the Royals’ rotation this year. While Brady Singer has become a very strong MLB starting pitcher, and while Zack Greinke continues to find ways to get hitters out, Bubic has not been able to establish command of his pitches or find a formula which can get hitters off balance. Bubic’s 2-13 record is obviously something people will look at. What is a more revealing look into his 2022 struggles is that Bubic’s ERA has never been below five runs since his first start of the season. He began the year poorly and has continued to labor throughout the campaign, producing an occasional good start but usually faltering at some point in his appearances. The Royals have a lot of tough choices to make with their roster for 2023. They need to see something good from Bubic before the season ends.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Mariners-Royals MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Mariners-Royals Odds
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (-105)
Kansas City Royals: +1.5 (-114)
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-112)
Why The Mariners Could Cover the Spread
The Mariners are watching the Baltimore Orioles beat the Houston Astros, coming closer in the race for the third American League wild card spot. The Orioles did not figure to shut out Houston in back-to-back games, but they have. As a result, the Mariners face more urgency in their quest to end their two-decade-long playoff drought, the longest playoff drought in any of the four major North American team sports. The pitching matchup is lopsided in favor of the Mariners. Logan Gilbert is a good, dependable pitcher, while Kris Bubic is clearly not. This is what Seattle can count on the most in its attempt to fend off the Orioles.
Why The Royals Could Cover the Spread
Julio Rodriguez and Eugenio Suarez have been the two most important Mariner hitters this season, the two central engines of Seattle’s offense. They are both injured and out for this game. The Royals are playing good baseball right now. They won their series against the Twins. They beat the Mariners on Friday night. They can certainly carry their current level of play into this game and take advantage of Seattle’s key injuries.
Final Mariners-Royals Prediction & Pick
The Mariners have key players out, but the Gilbert-Bubic pitching matchup will save them. Take Seattle.
Final Mariners-Royals Prediction & Pick: Mariners -1.5
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