Winners of 13 of their last 16 games, the Houston Astros have a five-game lead over the Oakland Athletics in the AL West and are on cruise control ahead of the conclusion of a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
- The Mariners are 5-1 SU and ATS in their last six games on the road vs the Astros.
- The total has gone UNDER in six of the Mariners’ last eight games vs the Astros (avg. combined score: 8.0).
- The Astros are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games when closing out a series.
Mariners vs Astros Game Center
Elias, Keuchel set to get the start on the hill
Roenis Elias and Dallas Keuchel will get the ball in this one for the Mariners and Astros, respectively. Elias (2-1, 3.18 ERA) last worked when he surrendered only one hit in 3.2 scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The 30-year-old is 1-2 with a 5.01 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts) vs Houston.
Keuchel (11-10, 3.57) settled for a no-decision in his last turn when he gave up two runs and five hits over six innings against Arizona. The hurler is 2-0 over his last five outings and has suffered only one setback in his last eight turns. Keuchel is 1-2 with a 4.08 ERA in four starts vs Seattle this year and 9-7 with a 3.02 ERA in 19 career appearances (18 starts).
UNDERs the story when Mariners and Astros get together
Totals bettors, take note: the UNDER is trending when the AL West rivals collide. Six of the last eight meetings between the clubs have gone below the closing total, with an average combined score of eight runs. The UNDER has also paid out in each of the Mariners’ last five games vs teams with winning records, so another low-scoring affair could be in store tonight if the trends prove to be correct.
Astros are a near lock when closing out a series
Houston has been a lights-out wager when closing out a series of late, as the reigning World Series champions are a sizzling 9-1 SU in their past 10 when playing the last game of a series. The Astros are also 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 contests at Minute Maid Park. At this point in the year, some playoff-bound teams lose motivation as the regular season draws to a close, but it’s abundantly clear the ’Stros are not included in that conversation.
