The 2023 season has gone very differently for the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners.
After making the playoffs last season, the Mariners have taken a massive step back, sitting in fourth place in the NL West at about the halfway points of the season. Meanwhile the Rays are elite, sitting in first place in the AL East and posting the best record in baseball.
For this matchup, Mariners rookie Bryce Miller (5-3, 3.88 ERA on the season) gets the ball against Rays ace Shane McClanahan (11-1, 2.23 ERA) on Friday night.
Tampa Bay is an impressive 13-3 in McClanahan's starts this season, but are the Rays the best bet on the board for this game?
Here are the latest odds and my pick:
Rays vs. Mariners odds, run line and total
Rays vs. Mariners prediction and pick
My favorite bet in this game is actually a prop, and for bettors that want a quick win – this one will be over before you know it.
Miller and McClanahan are both impressive young arms, and they have been elite in the first inning this season.
Miller has made 10 starts, giving up just three total first inning runs – holding opponents to a .231 batting average in the opening frame. That's a solid number, and I still like him to hold things down early even against an elite Tampa offense.
McClanahan, a legitimate Cy Young candidate, has been even better, allowing just two first inning runs in 16 outings for a 1.12 ERA. McClanahan should have no issue tonight given Seattle's offensive struggles (18th in runs, 24th in OPS) in 2023.
Let's root for six outs before we see a run in this one. Take the NRFI.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
