Seattle Mariners (65-55) vs Houston Astros (70-52)
Seattle Mariners vs Houston Astros 8/18/2023 – On Thursday, the Mariners and Royals concluded their two-game series. Since hosting the All-Star game, they have won 21 of their past 32 games and 11 of their last 14. Can they maintain their strong play into the next few weeks of the regular season while remaining in contention for a Wild Card spot? Seattle hits .238 (23rd), scores 4.61 runs per game (14th), and has a .721 OPS (18th). It stole 84 bases, ranking 16th, and hit 147 long balls, ranking 13th. The M’s pitching staff has 58 quality starts and a 2.58 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP, ranking first and second, respectively.
Following a successful series against the Marlins, where they won two out of three games, the Houston Astros enjoyed a day off on Thursday. Currently, they are just 2.5 games behind the first place in the AL West. The Astros have been performing well, winning four of their last five series, with the fifth ending in a tie. Their offensive stats include a .744 OPS (13th), a .252 batting average (13th), and an average of 4.91 runs per game. They’ve hit 159 home runs (9th) and stolen 89 bases (13th) in the 2023 season. On the pitching side, their staff boasts 56 quality starts, a 3.79 ERA (4th), and a 1.26 WHIP (11th). For insightful predictions, check out free MLB betting picks.
Mariners vs. Astros Game Info
| When: | August 18, 2023 8:10 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Where: | Minute Maid Park, TX |
| TV: | AT&T SportsNet Southwest |
| Stream: | MLB.TV |
Bryce Miller (7-4, ERA: 4.04) vs J.P. France (9-3, ERA: 2.74)
On Friday night, Miller will ascend the hill to go to Seattle. In his last five appearances, the rookie pitcher mixed results, giving up 12 runs in two starts and a total of four runs in the other three. He limited Baltimore to 2 runs (one earned) in 5.2 innings on his previous outing. In contrast to his last start (one run in 5.0 innings vs. the LA Angels), in which he struck out 10 batters, he only struck out two batters in that game.
France will make his debut for the home team. Since the beginning of June, the Mississippi State graduate has been as reliable as they come, limiting all 12 of his opponents to three earned runs or less. He won after holding the Angels to two runs on four hits over seven innings in his most recent start.
MLB Odds/Point Spread: Seattle Mariners +134, Total Odds: 8.5
This season, the Astros dropped five out of their seven games vs the Mariners. The M’s will have the Stros’ complete focus on Friday since they have been performing even better since the All-Star break. In his second major league start, Miller defeated Houston, allowing two hits and no runs over six innings. While he was consistent since his dominating start, he also had some terrible outings, giving up six or more runs on four occasions.
The Astros ought to be more assured in their second game on Friday against the rookie right-hander. Houston is slashing .264 BA/.349 OBP/in the second half of the season.454 SLG/.803 OPS, a substantial improvement over the year’s first half (.247/.316/.407/.723). Additionally, it is generating 1.3 more runs per game. I’m going with the Astros to win handily with dependable France on the mound (zero runs in five innings against the Mariners on May 6).
Seattle Mariners Betting Trends
The total went OVER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 matches. The Seattle Mariners are 11-3 SU in their last 14 matches. Seattle Mariners are 5-1 SU in their last 6 matches against Houston. The Seattle Mariners are 8-1 SU in their last 9 matches on the road.
Houston Astros Betting Trends
The total went OVER in 4 of Houston’s last 6 matches. The Houston Astros are 7-3 SU in their last 10 matches. The total went UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 matches against Seattle. The Houston Astros are 5-1 SU in their last 6 matches at home.
Seattle Mariners vs Houston Astros 8/18/2023 Betting Picks
As the Seattle Mariners face the Houston Astros, several trends stand out. The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle’s last 5 matches when playing on the road against Houston. The Mariners have been performing well, with a 12-4 record in their last 16 matches against American League opponents and the total going UNDER in 4 of their last 6 matches against AL West Division teams. On the other side, the total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston’s last 5 matches when playing at home against Seattle. The Astros hold a 5-2 record in their last 7 matches against American League opponents, and they’ve had high-scoring games, with the total going OVER in 5 of their last 6 matches played on a Friday. For expert insights, don’t miss out on premium betting picks.
Free Pick and Prediction: Houston Astros will win 5-2.