For baseball fans, spotting the Seattle Mariners in first place is akin to UFO believers laying eyes on an actual spaceship: You know in your heart it’s possible; you just don’t think you’ll ever see it. And yet here we are nearly three weeks into the 2022 season, and the Mariners are indeed perched atop the AL West standings. (No sign of that spaceship, though.)
Do bookmakers believe Seattle is for real? Not if Tuesday’s Mariners vs Rays odds are an indication. Despite kicking off a nine-game road trip on an 8-2 run, Seattle is a definitive road underdog in the opener of a three-game series in Tampa Bay.
Perhaps that has to do with the Mariners’ last five victories coming against the Royals and Rangers (at home). Or because Seattle is only 3-4 on the road this season. Or because Tampa is on a roll, too (5-2 last seven).
Props.com dives into Mariners vs Rays odds and ends in our betting preview for Tuesday’s most intriguing— not a typo! — American League matchup.
Odds via DraftKings and updated as of 6:10 p.m. ET on April 26.
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Seattle Mariners (10-6) Vs Tampa Bay Rays (9-7)
First Pitch/TV: 3:40 p.m. ET/MLB.TV
Moneyline: Rays -135/Mariners +115
Run Line: Rays -1.5 (+165)/Mariners +1.5 (-195)
Total: 7 (Over -110/Under -110)
Pitching matchup: RHP Logan Gilbert (2-0, 0.54 ERA, 0.84 WHIP) vs RHP Matt Wisler (1-0, 2.45 ERA, 0.95 WHIP)
Season series: First meeting. Seattle won last year’s season series 6-1. In fact, the Mariners are 20-7 in their last 27 battles with the Rays and 16-6 in their last 22 contests in Tampa.
Did you know: Prior to Monday’s off day, the Mariners and Rays each played 16 games in 17 days to open the season.
About the Mariners
Hits & Misses: Seattle ended a 7-2 homestand with Sunday’s 5-4 victory over the Royals. That completed a three-game sweep in which the Mariners outscored K.C. 22-12. Before Sunday, 12 of Seattle’s previous 13 games were decided by multiple runs, with the M’s going 7-5 in those dozen contests. 1B Ty France has been shouldering the offensive load. He’s tied for the MLB lead in hits (24), and ranks second in RBI (19) and third in both batting average (.375) and OPS (1.115). He’s also tied for fifth in home runs with five (just one off the MLB lead). The pitching staff rates in the top six in team ERA (2.96, 5th); WHIP (1.12, T-5th with Tampa); bullpen ERA (2.62, 6th); and walks allowed per nine innings (2.77, T-6th).
On the Mound: The 14th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Gilbert was mediocre during his rookie campaign in 2021. He went 6-5 with a 4.68 ERA in 24 starts, though he posted a 128-28 K/BB ratio in 119.1 innings. This season, though, the 24-year-old from Florida has been tremendous. In three starts (two road, one home), Gilbert has surrendered just two runs (one earned) on 13 hits in 16.2 innings. He’s walked just one, struck out 15 and led Seattle to victories over the Twins (4-3), White Sox (5-1) and Rangers (4-2). Gilbert faced the Rays twice as a rookie, yielding a total of seven runs on 10 hits and four walks in 10.2 innings. Seattle prevailed 6-5 at home, but lost 4-3 in Tampa.
Key injuries: RP Paul Sewald and RF Mitch Haniger are on the COVID list and are out indefinitely. Additionally, RPs Ken Giles (finger) and Sergio Romo (shoulder), as well as CF Kyle Lewis (knee) are on the 10-day injured list. Giles and Lewis have yet to play this season.
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About the Rays
Hits & Misses: Tampa Bay has been on a bit of a roller coaster early this season. It started out 3-1, then lost five of six, but has rebounded to win four of five. After closing out a three-game series in Chicago with a pair of victories, the Rays returned home over the weekend and took two of three from the Red Sox. As usual, the Rays are leaning on their pitching staff, which has yielded four runs or fewer in 12 of 16 games. Tampa Bay pitchers rank in the top eight in MLB in opponents’ batting average (.207, 5th); WHIP (1.12, T-6th); and strikeouts per nine innings (9.45, 8th). However, their 3.43 team ERA rates only 14th. Tampa’s offense is led by highly touted rookie SS Wander Franco, who is batting .349 with three homers, seven doubles and 10 RBI.
On the Mound: Wisler tonight will continue his regular role as an “opener” in a bullpen game for Tampa Bay. His only previous “start” this season was a week ago tonight in Chicago, where the right-hander tossed 1.2 hitless and scoreless innings in the Rays’ 6-5 win over the Cubs. Including six relief appearances, Wisler has allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 7.1 innings. In five appearances against the Mariners, the 29-year-old has allowed four runs in 4.2 innings. Wisler will be backed by a Rays bullpen that has 3.08 ERA.
Key injuries: The Rays have a slew of pitchers on the 60-day IL, including Tyler Glasnow (elbow), Yonny Chirinos (elbow), Nick Anderson (elbow), Luis Patino (oblique), Pete Fairbanks (lat) and Shane Baz (elbow). Also, SP Ryan Yarborough (groin) and RP J.T. Chargois (oblique) are on the 10-day IL.
Notable Trends
- SEA is 10-2 in its last 12 series openers
- SEA is 2-5 in its last seven as an underdog
- TB Is 52-22 in its last 74 home games (this season)
- Over is 5-2 in SEA’s last seven overall
- Under is 6-2 in SEA’s last eight road games
- Under for TB is on runs of 8-1 in series openers and 5-1 after an off day
- Over is 6-2 in the last eight Mariners-Rays battles in TB
Mariners Vs Rays Odds and Action
UPDATE 6:10 P.M. ET TUESDAY: DraftKings opened the Rays as a -115 favorite early this morning, with Seattle -105 on the take-back. During a three-hour span starting at 8 a.m. ET, the moneyline moved multiple times between Rays -115 and Rays -135, stopping at all points in between. By mid afternoon ET, Tampa Bay was at -130, then settled at the current price of Rays -135/Mariners +115 at 4:45 p.m. ET. Tampa is catching 61% of the moneyline tickets, but the cash is split almost 50-50.
The total opened at 7 and except for a very brief drop to 6 (Over -180) at 8 a.m. ET today, it has remained at the opener. There have multiple juice adjustments shaded to both 7/Over and 7/Under, with price now sitting at 7 flat (-110 both ways). There’s solid two-way action on the total, with 63% of the wagers on the Over and 59% of the cash on the Under.
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