by
• Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics
• Wednesday, September 20 at 10 PM ET
• Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California
Things are coming down to the wire for Major League Baseball teams hoping to sneak into the playoffs. With only a little bit more time left in the regular season, every single game counts. For the Seattle Mariners, they were recently in first place of the AL West, but they have let that division lead slip away. Now, the club’s back is against the wall, as they’re on the outside looking in via a Wild Card spot. That’s why the Mariners are facing a must-win game vs. the Athletics on Wednesday night.
As of this writing, the Mariners are one game back for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. They’re right behind both the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays. However, the Mariners have a three-game series on the way with the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics are the worst team in the bigs. Because of this, the Mariners have zero excuses going up against Oakland here.
| Mariners vs. Athletics odds |  |  |  |  |
| Mariners to win | -115 | -115 | -115 | -115 |
| Athletics to win | +125 | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Over to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under to hit | -110 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
What really makes things interesting for Seattle is that after this series, they have a two-game series on the way at the end of the week against the Rangers. All five of these games are the road. With that two-game set vs. Texas coming, those will be crucial games for the M’s too. That’s why this series at Oakland is so important. If they can impress during this series and make a splash, then it will be huge for them moving forward.
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Mariners hold -115 MLB betting odds to post a victory in this one, while the A’s have been set at +125. Oakland is the home team in this one, so you might be inclined to bet on them, but the fact of the matter here is that the Athletics are terrible no matter where they play. With that said, we’re going with the Mariners as our pick in this crucial contest.
MICHAEL
HARRISON
FORD pic.twitter.com/qtF3XxmEmR
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 17, 2023
The under should hit in this matchup between the Mariners and Athletics
While Seattle had a strong offense, the same can’t be said for Oakland, which is why the under should hit in this matchup between the Mariners and Athletics. The A’s have arguably the worst lineup in the majors and we don’t expect things to change in an impressive way for them going up against Seattle. Oakland has been cold at the dish in recent weeks and more of the same should be on the way vs. Seattle.
While Oakland is yet to announce who they’ll be sending out for the start, the Mariners are expected to go with George Kirby. While Kirby recently had a bit of an issue with the staff, there’s no question that he’s a top-level starting pitcher and he’ll be ready to try and silence the Oakland hitters. Kirby is known for his plethora of strong pitches and he’ll be ready to put on a show in the Bay Area.
George Kirby after pitch 103, nine dazzling shutout innings. pic.twitter.com/GSiE7GKKih
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) September 9, 2023
On the season, Kirby is 10-10 on the year with a 3.57 ERA. He also has 158 strikeouts to his name. When Kirby is at his best, he has the kind of stuff to make life a nightmare for opposing hitters. However, his 10-10 record lets you know that he’s been a bit inconsistent throughout the campaign. In order for the Mariners to post a victory in this contest, they’ll need Kirby to be at his best for the squad.
According to the oddsmakers, the over/under has been set at seven runs, with -110 MLB betting odds for both. We’ll find out soon enough who the Athletics will be sending out on the bump to take on Seattle, but we don’t think it will matter. Look for the A’s bats to stay quiet, while the Mariners will put up enough on offense to get the job done. We’re going with the under as our pick here.
Will the Mariners be able to sneak into the playoffs for the second consecutive year?
Right now, the big question for people in the Pacific Northwest is will the Mariners be able to sneak into the playoffs for the second consecutive year? A couple of weeks ago, it felt like a lock that the Mariners would punch their tickets to the postseason, but now things are a bit up in the air. It feels like that final Wild Card spot in the AL will come down to either Texas or Seattle. They’re neck and neck in that race.
As things stand, the Mariners hold +225 MLB betting odds to reach the postseason, while the Rangers are slightly ahead of them at +175. This could go either way. If the Mariners can take care of business vs. Oakland and then split the series with Texas later this week, they’ll only improve their chances. Only time will tell if they can make some late magic happen or not, but there’s no question that their fans are quite nervous these days.
