Rays vs. Mariners MLB Odds, Preview and Pick (Archive)
With opposite winning and losing streaks in tow, the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners continue their series on Friday’s baseball betting card.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Seattle Mariners
Friday, May 06, 2022 – 09:40 PM EDT at T-Mobile Park
Following a 4-3 win in Thursday’s series opener, the Tampa Bay Rays look to guarantee themselves a split in the 4-game series at the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. The result on Thursday increased Tampa Bay’s win streak to four consecutive games, while the setback was Seattle’s fourth in a row.
With the victory, which came as -135 chalk on the MLB odds, Tampa Bay inched up a notch to second in the AL East and gained a half-game on the idle New York Yankees. Seattle remained third in the AL East but lost a game to the front-running Los Angeles Angels in the process.
Rematch on Mound of April 26 Meeting
Kevin Cash and the Rays were a little slow to the gate in divulging their pitching plans for Friday, and that kept the contest off the overnight boards.
The mound duel is a rematch of a clash that took place at Tropicana Field a little more than a week ago, with Matt Wisler (1-0, 1.50) serving as the Tampa Bay opener opposite Seattle’s Logan Gilbert (4-0, 0.64).
Just as they did in the April 26th meeting in St. Petersburg, the Rays are expected to piggyback Wisler with Josh Fleming (2-3, 6.32) serving as the bulk reliever.
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That really didn’t work out well for Tampa Bay, though a big factor in the Mariners’ 8-4 win was shoddy fielding on the part of the Rays, who were small favorites at online betting sites.
Wisler worked the first two innings that evening, allowing a couple of hits and striking out two before giving way to Fleming, who tossed a scoreless third. It all fell apart for Fleming and the Rays in the fourth when Seattle scored seven times, with all seven runs of the unearned variety thanks to errors by Wander Franco and Ji-Man Choi.
Gilbert, meanwhile, pitched into the sixth for Scott Servais’ crew, striking out seven and not allowing a run. It marked Gilbert’s first career win over Tampa Bay after facing the Rays twice in 2021 and going 0-1 while pitching to a 5.90 ERA (10.2 IP, 7 ER).
Gilbert Leads AL in ERA
Thursday’s triumph was the first for the Rays in Seattle since sweeping a series at T-Mobile Park in 2019. The final score in the series opener landed smack-dab on the closing 7-run total at some of BMR's top-rated sportsbooks the eighth ‘under’ winner between the clubs in their last 11 confrontations.
All four of Tampa Bay’s runs Thursday came in the fourth inning, three on a Mike Zunino homer. Since the matchup at Tropicana Field, Wisler has made a couple of relief appearances totaling 2.2 IP with a couple of unearned runs scoring.
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We’re likely looking at 30 pitches at most for the righthander. Fleming’s only appearance since the earlier meeting came this past Sunday in a long relief appearance against the Twins (3.2 IP, 5 ER).
Gilbert was on the bump Sunday as well and enjoyed a nice outing in Miami to keep the Mariners from being swept in that series. The 24-year-old once again pitched into the sixth inning with a Brian Anderson solo shot the only run Gilbert allowed. His 0.64 ERA presently sits at the top of the American League.
Rays vs. Mariners Free Pick
The four umpires working this series were on different crews on Opening Day, and it includes Chris Guccione as the chief and Hal H. ‘Tripp’ Gibson III at the dish for Friday’s MLB game.
Gibson’s first four plate assignments of 2022 split the totals at top-rated sportsbooks, the two with 8-run marks or lower going ‘over’ and the two at 8½+ staying ‘under.’
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There is more rain in Seattle’s forecast – what’s new? – so the roof should be shut again Friday evening when the thermometer is in the low-50s at first pitch. In fact, rain and cooler temps are expected to linger in the area through the weekend.
Seattle should be favored on a -115 to -120 moneyline, with 7½ for the total. If Fleming is in the pitching mix, it’s difficult to pull the trigger on the Rays despite their 4-game win streak, and it’s equally tough to go with the slumping Mariners even with Gilbert on the mound.
Let’s go against the trend between the clubs in Seattle and run with an ‘over’ play for our free baseball pick.
MLB Pick: Over 7½ (+105) with Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.