The Oakland Coliseum is the site for the second game of a three-game series between the Athletics, Sportsbooks in 10 of their last 12, and the Mariners, Sportsbooks in four of their last five. The A’s edged the M’s 7-6 in the series opener but opened as the +110 underdogs with Seattle coming back at -130. James Paxton clashes with Mike Fiers with the total Sportsbook at 7.5 runs.
- The Athletics are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games vs divisional opponents.
- The total has gone UNDER in five of the Athletics’ last six games at home (avg. combined score: 5.67).
- The total has gone UNDER in six of the Mariners’ last eight games with James Paxton as the starting pitcher.
View Mariners vs Athletics matchup page
Fiers looks for continued success with his new club
Getting the ball for the Athletics is newly acquired Mike Fiers (7-6, 3.40 ERA). The Florida native spent the first four months of the season with the Detroit Tigers prior to being traded to Oakland on August 6. Fiers made the trip to the Oakland Coliseum mound shortly after the trade against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The righty tossed 5.1 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out eight batters. According to our pitcher money won table, Fiers has been the most profitable pitcher in MLB, earning bettors a profit of $1,273 based on $100 bets on each of his starts in 2018.
The 33-year-old looks to exorcise some Mariners demons in tonight’s game as Seattle has given him trouble throughout his career. Fiers faced the Mariners in mid-May when he was tagged for four earned runs on six hits, lasting just five innings in a 7-2 losing effort. His clubs are 4-2 SU over his six career starts vs the M’s but he sports an ugly 6.21 ERA in those games. Unfortunately for Fiers, Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano makes his return to the club following a suspension for PED use. Cano has a career .364 batting average vs Fiers, including a double, two home runs and five RBIs.
Paxton off to a rough start in August
Countering for the Mariners is James Paxton (10-5, 3.63 ERA). The Canadian is having a terrific season but has struggled out of the gate in August. The M’s are 1-1 SU while the lefty has a 4.97 ERA over his two outings this month, allowing seven earned runs in 12.2 innings. Paxton has been better at home than he has been in away games, as he sports a 3.21 home ERA vs a 4.04 road ERA and batters have a .244 average in those away starts.
Paxton made a strong start against Oakland in early May but did not get the result he was aiming for. The 29-year-old pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits while striking out a season-high 16 batters, but the bullpen ruined the terrific start as Seattle lost 3-2. Over his career, the lefty holds an impressive 3.32 ERA through seven starts vs the A’s and his team is 5-2 SU in those contests.
Trends point to the UNDER but is it the smart bet?
With a pair of strong pitchers on the mound for tonight’s contest, Sportsbook has the total Sportsbook at 7.5 runs. The Mariners have gone OVER in seven of Paxton’s last 10 road starts with an average combined score of 9.5. However, the Athletics have gone UNDER in five of their last six home games with an average combined score of 5.67 and the total has gone UNDER in five of the last six meetings between the M’s and A’s with an average combined score of 6. Lastly, the total has gone UNDER in six of Mike Fiers’ last nine starts with an average combined score of 7 and those six UNDERs all went UNDER tonight’s Sportsbook total of 7.5 runs.
