Mariners vs Royals Prediction - MLB PIcks 8/17/23

The Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals face off on Thursday in an MLB showdown at Kaufmann Stadium. 

Mariners Playing with Fire

The Mariners have really been playing with fire the last month, and especially the first two games of this series. In Game 1 they tied up the game late only to blow it the bottom of the 9th. In Game 2 they once again blew a lead in the 9th, and it took two runs in the 10th to secure the win. The Mariners are averaging 4.6 runs while their pitching is giving up 4.1 runs per game. The pitching is ranked 6th best in the league and they are going to need strong pitching here. On the mound for Seattle will be George Kirby who sits with a 10-8 record and an ERA of 3.11. In his last start against the Orioles he went nine innings giving up three hits and zero runs. 

Mariners Betting Trends

• The Mariners have won eight of their last nine road games against American League opponents.
• The Mariners have failed to cover the run line in each of their last six games as favorites against AL Central opponents following a win.
• The Mariners have led after 3 innings in each of their last five day games against American League opponents that held a losing record.
• The Mariners have led after 5 innings in each of their last six day games against American League opponents that held a losing record.

Royals Showing Some Fight 

It would have been easy for this Royals team to give up on their season a couple of months ago. This is a team that has gotten key hits late, and if the pitching staff was a little better, this is a team that could have had a different season. The Royals are averaging 4.08 runs while their pitching is giving up 5.34 runs per game. The offense and pitching are both ranked 28th in baseball.