The Seattle Mariners will host the Toronto Blue Jays for game one of their three-game set this Friday from T-Mobile Park.
Blue Jays Betting Preview
Toronto enters at 54-43 after dropping two of three to San Diego. The Blue Jays avoided the sweep with a game three victory, and they’ll now look to stay afloat on this tough road stand. The Toronto offense is scoring 4.85 runs per game, while batting .262, with a .329 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.03 ERA, with a 1.25 WHIP. Bo Bichette has collected a hit in six of the last seven games, and he leads the AL in hits (130), with team-leading splits of .319/16/53. Vlad Guerrero Jr. homered in the game three win, and he leads Toronto in RBI (61), with fifteen homers. George Springer has recorded a hit in eight of the previous ten games, and he’s posting a nice line of .270/13/41.
Yusei Kikuchi (7-3, 4.13 ERA, 33 Ks) will get the call for Toronto. The fifth-year pitcher has been much better this season when it comes to avoiding trouble, as he’s allowed two runs or less in seven of his last nine starts. Kikuchi held Arizona to one run over 4.1 innings, so he hasn’t exactly blown teams away, but he’s been solid. This was mark Kikuchi’s return to Seattle, so it should be interesting to see if he revs things up here.
Mariners Betting Preview
Seattle enters at 48-48 after splitting four with Minnesota. The Mariners got even with the Twins in game three with a shut out, and they’ll attempt to close the home stand strong this weekend. The pitching staff carries a 3.55 ERA, with a 1.19 WHIP. Teoscar Hernandez homered in the game four win, and he leads Seattle in home runs (16), with 52 RBI. Eugenio Suarez homered in three straight matchups with the Twins this week, and he now leads the Mariners in RBI (58), with fourteen homers. J.J. Crawford has recorded a hit in eight of the previous ten games, and he leads the team in batting at .261.
Bryce Miller (6-3, 3.66 ERA, 49 Ks) will start for Seattle. The rookie pitcher returned from the break with a scoreless outing against Detroit, silencing them over five innings to earn his sixth victory. Miller is an impressive 5-1 at home this season, but Toronto should give him a good test here. Miller has allowed two runs or less in four of his last five starts.
Toronto vs Seattle Trends
Toronto is 45-49 against the spread this season, with a 42-48-4 O/U record. Seattle is 45-47 ATS this year, with a 45-45-2 over/under record.
Corey’s Free Pick
If Seattle could receive consistent production from their lineup they’d be one of the best teams in the AL, but instead they’ve spent the last two months hovering .500. They’re very difficult to get a gauge on, even when their best pitchers go, but they always have a better chance of winning at home. The pitching battle sways in the Mariners favor, and although I love when a pitcher returns to an old ball club, I don’t like the road matchup for Yusei Kikuchi here. Seattle should win this game, but let’s back the Over as it brings a bit more security here Friday.
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
