Two teams trying to stay relevant in the American League playoff picture meet when the Mariners host the Blue Jays Saturday night in Seattle. Lefty Yusei Kikuchi gets the call for the home team here against fellow southpaw Hyun Jin Ryu for the visitors. Who do we like here for our free baseball betting pick?
MLB Betting Odds
Saturday’s baseball betting odds opened Toronto at around -165 over Seattle, with an over/under of 8.5 runs. Early betting action then dropped that line 20 cents, down to -145.
The Blue Jays could also be found getting around +110, giving the run and a half on the run line.
Blue Jays-Mariners MLB Betting Preview
Seattle grabbed the opener of this three-game series Friday night 3-2 on a walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth. The Mariners won Friday as +145 home dogs on the betting line and the game played under a total of 8.5 runs.
With Friday’s win, Seattle is 4-1 over its last five games. At 62-55 overall, the Mariners trail first-place Houston by eight games in the AL West, but they’re only 4.5 games behind fading Boston in the battle for the second American League wild-card spot.
With Friday’s loss, Toronto is 3-4 over its last seven games. At 62-53 overall, the Blue Jays trail first-place Tampa Bay by 8.5 games in the AL East, but they’re also only 3.5 games back of the Red Sox in that AL wild-card scrum.
Seattle leads the season series with Toronto three games to one.
Saturday’s Pitching Match-Up
This pitching match-up is a rematch of a game played back on July 1 at the Jays’ temporary home in Buffalo, a 7-2 Seattle victory.
Kikuchi, by our strict standards, is 10/21 on quality starts this season. Last Sunday, he held the Yankees scoreless on four hits through five innings of a 2-0 Mariners win, but over his three starts previous to that, he allowed nine runs – seven earned – and 19 hits, including four home runs, through 17 innings.
Seattle is 11-10 with Kikuchi this season, 3-1 over his last four starts.
Over two career starts against Toronto, one in 2019 and the one back on July 1, Kikuchi allowed one run and seven hits through 16 innings. The Mariners won both those games.
Ryu is 8/22 on quality starts this year and two for his last three. Last Sunday, he got clipped for seven runs and ten hits through just 3 2/3 innings against Boston, although the Jays won that game 8-7. And over his two previous starts, he allowed just two runs and nine hits through 13 innings, with zero walks and 13 strikeouts.
The Blue Jays are 15-7 with Ryu this year, 7-0 over his last seven starts!
In that game back on July 1, his first career start against Seattle, Ryu gave up five runs – four earned – and seven hits, including two homers, through four innings and took the loss.
Splits With the Sticks
Toronto is batting .263 against left-handed pitching this season, with a .333 team OBP and a .444 team slugging percentage.
Seattle is “slashing” .224/.294/.392 against left-handed pitching.
- Get more details: Jays vs. Mariners 8/14/21 Game Matchup Stats
The Bullpens
The Blue Jays bullpen owns a 3.93 ERA this season, along with a 1.28 WHIP and a 2.42 K/BB ratio.
The Mariners pen owns a 3.94 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 2.84 K/BB ratio.
MLB Betting Trends
- The Blue Jays are 62-53 on the road this season.
- The Mariners are 36-24 at home.
- The Blue Jays are 15-16 against left-handed starters this season.
- The Mariners are 23-21 against left-handed starters.
Totals Report
Unders are 60-51 in Blue Jays games this season.
Totals are split 57-57 in Mariners games.
Unders are 34-24 in games played at Mobile Park this season.
