Mariners vs Rangers Prediction & Best Bet (June 2): Expect Pitching Duel at Globe Life Field

The Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers kickstart their second three-game series of the 2023 MLB season on Friday. The first Mariners vs Rangers series of the year happened just under a month ago, resulting in a 2-1 series win for Texas. Only time will tell if Seattle can get some revenge tonight.

Whenever I'm in the PxP seat I try to pay tribute to a broadcasting GOAT. Extra fun when it is in Detroit.

Dave is back in the P-chair Friday. I'll be back home in the A-chair.

Fun series coming up this weekend with the the @Mariners visiting the @Rangers at Globe Life… pic.twitter.com/Re61qYuQzy

— CJ (@CJNitkowski) June 1, 2023

Tonight marks the start of an eight-game road trip for the Mariners. They just closed out a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels and while the Mariners lost two of those games, ended the affair on a high note, picking up a 1-0 victory on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Rangers return home following a 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers two days ago. Starting pitcher Dane Dunning allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out six batters over five innings, but it wasn’t good enough as Texas’ bats only generated two runs on 11 hits.

Can the Mariners close the AL West gap with a victory at Globe Life Field? Or will the Rangers continue to get the better of their division rival with another victory?

Here’s a look at everything you know heading into tonight’s Mariners vs Rangers showdown, from the latest betting odds to a prediction with the best betting recommendation, courtesy of Betting News.

Seattle Mariners vs Texas Rangers Game Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Seattle Mariners (29-27, 12-12 Away) vs. Texas Rangers (35-20, 16-8 Home)
• Venue & Location: Globe Life Field (Arlington, Texas)
• Date: Friday, June 2, 2023
• Game Time: 8:05 p.m. Eastern Time
• Mariners vs Rangers TV Info: ESPN+, ROOT SPORTS Northwest, Bally Sports Southwest

Mariners vs Rangers Game Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Friday, June 2 at 8:32 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Seattle Mariners -1.5 (+130)
• Texas Rangers +1.5 (-156)

Over/Under

• Over 8.5 Runs (-102)
• Under 8.5 Runs (-120)

Moneyline

• Seattle Mariners -126
• Texas Rangers +108

Mariners vs Rangers Starting Pitchers

• Mariners: Luis Castillo (11 starts — 4-2, 2.69 ERA)
• Rangers: Jon Gray (10 starts —5-1, 2.81 ERA)

Mariners vs Rangers Betting Trends

• Seattle is 12-5 straight up in its last 17 games against Texas.
• Texas is 6-2 straight up in its last eight games against the American League.
• The total has hit the under in seven of Seattle’s last eight games against the AL West.
• The total has hit the over in eight of Texas’ last nine home games.
• The total has hit the under in five of the last six Seattle-Texas matchups.

Mariners vs Rangers Game Preview

Even though the Rangers won the first series of the season, the Mariners have still had their AL West rival’s number more often than not recently.

After all, the Mariners have won 12 of their last 17 meetings with the Rangers. What’s even more impressive is that they’ve also won 10 of their last 13 trips to Globe Life Field. Having said that, Seattle has also lost its last two games played in Arlington, getting outscored 12-7 by Texas on aggregate.

The Mariners have also experienced some road woes as of late. They’ve gone 1-4 in their last five away games, averaging just 3.6 runs while tallying an unimpressive .204/.296/.33 slash line. Seattle’s offensive struggles over that stretch resulted in it being outscored by an average of three runs per contest.

Meanwhile, the Rangers have been terrific at home this season, which includes a 10-4 record in their latest 14 outings at Globe Life Field. Texas’ offense has dominated the competition over that stretch, averaging 7.4 runs with a .304 batting average and .913 on-base + slugging percentage.

Nevertheless, it’ll be interesting to see if either club gets much offense going in what should be a pitching duel tonight. On one hand, there’s the Mariners’ Luis Castillo, who’s 4-2 with a 2.69 ERA through his first 11 starts.

Luis Castillo, Vicious Elevated 98mph Two Seamer. ?

17 inches of Run pic.twitter.com/EkrZuNVqwU

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 27, 2023

Castillo has also been near-flawless lately, winning his last two starts while allowing just five hits without a run and recording 18 strikeouts over 12 innings. On the flip side, he also did give up three runs on eight hits over five innings in a 4-3 loss to the Rangers on May 10.

Meanwhile, Texas’ Jon Gray has also been more than solid on the mound. The 31-year-old starting hurler is 5-1 with a career-best 2.81 ERA and 1.110 WHIP over 10 starts. He’s looked even more confident since the beginning of May, going 4-0 in his last four appearances with a 1.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts over as many innings.

Gray also got the better of the Mariners back on May 8, striking out eight Seattle batters while surrendering just one run on four hits over seven innings in a 2-1 victory.

Another interesting observation is that the Rangers tend to play with more confidence when Gray is pitching. They’re averaging 9.3 runs over his last three starts, whereas the Mariners are averaging 4.8 in Castillo’s last six.

If the two starting pitchers continue pitching as well as they have, though, there likely won’t be much run production tonight.

Mariners vs Rangers Game Prediction and Picks

Mariners vs Rangers Prediction: Rangers 4, Mariners 2

Mariners vs Rangers: Rangers ML (Best Value: +108 at BetOnline) & Under 8.5 Total Runs (Best Value: -120 at BetOnline)

After beating their AL West rival twice last month, I’m going with the Rangers winning tonight. They’ve been electric at home this season while Gray has looked unbeatable as of late. Even with the Mariners’ success at Globe Life Field, their recent road play has left too much to be desired.

Another worthwhile Mariners vs Rangers bet is taking the under on the 8.5-run total. After all, this game will likely be a pitching duel as long as Castillo and Gray live up to the hype. Considering how five of the last six Seattle-Texas matchups have finished with the under, averaging just 7.2 runs during that stretch, I don’t anticipate much offense tonight.

Other Seattle vs Texas Resources

• Mariners vs Rangers Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

More MLB Articles on Betting News (June 2)

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