Mariners vs. Athletics (August 19): Will Seattle slip up in Oakland against Irvin?

Of the betting favorites on today’s MLB schedule, there are a few that stick out as being in potential problem spots. Near the top of the list are the Seattle Mariners, who face a very, very tricky test tonight in Oakland against Cole Irvin and the Athletics.

The M’s, who swept the Los Angeles Angels in midweek action this week, sit atop the AL wild-card standings and are 10-6 this month.

But midweek action is where they have thrived this month, going 7-2 with their three-game sweep of the Angels and two series wins over the New York Yankees.

Going into their visit to Oakland Coliseum, Seattle has yet to win a weekend series in the second half.

• swept in three-game series vs. Houston Astros
• lost three of four at Astros
• split four-game series vs. Angels
• lost two of three at Texas Rangers

If they want to end that run this weekend, they will need to start strong tonight. But Irvin has been in fine form at home this season, and a win is unlikely to come easy for the Mariners, if at all.

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Seattle Mariners (65-54, 34-28 away, 2nd in the AL West) vs. Oakland Athletics (43-76, 17-38 home, 5th in the AL West)
• Venue & Location: Oakland Coliseum (Oakland, California)
• Date: Friday, August 19, 2022
• Game Time: 9:40 p.m. Eastern Time (6:40 p.m. local time)

Mariners vs. Athletics Pitching Matchup

• Seattle Mariners: Marco Gonzales (2022: 23 starts, 7-12, 4.18 ERA)
• Oakland Athletics: Cole Irvin (2022: 21 starts, 6-10, 3.13 ERA)

Mariners vs. Athletics Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from other top online sports betting sites that we recommend may also be mentioned in this article.

Moneyline

• Seattle Mariners -136
• Oakland Athletics +116

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 (-118)
• Under 7.5 (-102)

Run Line

• Seattle Mariners -1.5 (+122)
• Oakland Athletics +1.5 (-146)

Will Irvin Impress Again at Home?

Backing a team that has won 36 percent of its games is not something that I recommend doing very often, but Irvin makes the A’s a very worthwhile play tonight.

This season, Irvin is 4-3 with a 1.66 ERA in 11 home starts, and he is 3-3 with a 2.21 ERA in nine nighttime starts. By comparison, he is 2-7 with a 4.88 ERA in ten road starts and 3-7 with a 3.86 ERA in 12 daytime starts.

The 28-year-old lefty didn’t have his best stuff at Houston last time out as he allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings in a 6-3 loss to the Astros last Sunday. That broke a run of seven consecutive quality starts, a stretch in which he went 4-3 with a 1.88 ERA.

Irvin has yet to allow more than two earned runs or more than three overall runs in a home start this season, and he has recorded six consecutive quality starts at home.

The big concern ahead of his first start of the season against the Mariners is whether Oakland’s bats will give him enough of a lift.

• When the A’s have scored more than three runs in a Cole Irvin start, they are 5-2.
• When the A’s have scored three or fewer runs in a Cole Irvin start, they are 2-12.

But Gonzales is 1-2 with a 7.71 ERA in three August starts (16.1 IP, 26 H, 14 R, 14 ER), and he is 0-3 with an 8.82 ERA in his last three road starts (16.1 IP, 29 H, 16 R, 16 ER).

For the season, the 30-year-old southpaw is 2-7 with a 4.87 ERA in 11 road starts and 5-7 with a 4.64 ERA in 16 nighttime starts.

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics Prediction and Picks

Mariners vs. Athletics Prediction: Athletics to win

Mariners vs. Athletics Picks: Athletics ML (Best Value: +116 at BetOnline)

Seattle has been good about finding a way to win in challenging spots, and it would not be a surprise if they were able to do so again tonight.

The Mariners are 14-3 (.824) as a road favorite and 36-28 following a win this season, and those numbers are not to be dismissed.

But I like Irvin and the A’s to pick up the series-opening win tonight. Gonzales is certainly capable of being much better than he has been, but it’s hard to trust him here, even against a team that is dead last in the league in runs per game at home.

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