The Seattle Mariners head to Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, where the Toronto Blue Jays play their home games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These two American League foes open a three-game series Tuesday night with the first pitch at 7:07 PM ET, so here are the best Mariners vs. Blue Jays betting pick and odds.
Toronto opened as a -175 fave on BetRivers Sportsbook, while Seattle is a +161 dog with a total of 10.0 runs. The Blue Jays meet the Mariners for the first time since 2019. Toronto has dropped four of its last five games against Seattle, but the Blue Jays are 12-8 over their previous 20 meetings with the Mariners.
Seattle continues to impress
The Seattle Mariners have been terrific over the last few weeks. They’ve won ten of their last 13 games overall, sweeping a four-game series against the mighty Tampa Bay Rays in the process. The Mariners have just won a three-game set at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, but they are coming off a tough 7-5 loss to the White Sox in the second game of their Sunday’s doubleheader.
Seattle fell to 41-38 on the season, and the Mariners are third in the AL West, seven and a half games behind the Houston Astros and five behind the Oakland Athletics. They are tallying 4.06 runs per game (22nd in the majors), but the Mariners have scored 60 runs in their last 12 outings while slashing .258/.322/.452.
The Mariners’ pitching staff owns a 4.41 ERA (20th in the MLB). However, over their last 12 contests, the Mariners have recorded a 3.36 ERA to go with a 1.09 WHIP and .209 batting average. Chris Flexen will get the starting nod Tuesday, and the 26-year-old righty is 6-3 with a 3.87 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 13 starts this season.
Flexen has never met the Blue Jays before. He’s had a few rough outings so far this term, but in his last two starts, Flexen has allowed only one earned run on eight hits and two walks while punching out 14 across 14.2 frames of work.
The Blue Jays search for their third straight win at Sahlen Field
The Toronto Blue Jays have won seven of their last eight games to improve to 40-36 on the season. Five of those seven wins have come against the hapless Baltimore Orioles, but the Blue Jays won’t mind it, as they are still third in the AL East, trailing six games behind the Boston Red Sox and 5.5 behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto owns the second-highest scoring offense in baseball, tallying 5.09 runs per game. The Blue Jays have registered a .759 OPS in their last 13 games, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has walloped three home runs in his previous four outings.
The Blue Jays are yielding 4.24 runs per game (14th in the majors) while registering a 3.94 ERA (also 14th). Robbie Ray will take the mound Tuesday, and the 29-year-old southpaw is 5-3 with a 3.35 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 14 starts this season.
Ray has allowed just eight earned runs through his previous five starts. He’s been excellent last time out, throwing six innings of a one-run ball in a 3-1 victory at the Miami Marlins.
Trends:
Seattle:
- 9-15 in the last 24 games against Toronto
- 9-19 in the last 28 games on the road
Toronto:
- 7-1 in the last eight games overall
- 6-1 in the last seven outings as favorites
Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays Pick:
The Blue Jays bullpen has been a problem as of late, recording a 4.59 ERA in June, but I think Toronto has enough offensive weapons to provide solid run support for Robbie Ray and his relievers. The Mariners are playing above expectations, but their bullpen sports a 5.07 ERA in June.
Ray is enjoying a nice season, so I’m expecting another solid performance Tuesday. On the other side, Chris Flexen will have a tall task to slow down the second-best offensive lineup in baseball.
Pick: Take Toronto Blue Jays at -175
Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays Total:
The over is 8-2 in Seattle’s last ten tilts on the road. The Mariners have improved offensively a lot, so the bookies set the line high in this one. Still, Sahlen Field is one of the best hitting ballparks in baseball, so I’m backing the over.
The Blue Jays are killing it at the plate, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mariners struggle to hit well against Robbie Ray. Therefore, Toronto to win is my best pick here.
Pick: Go over 10.0 runs at -105