The MLB playoffs continue with the American League Division Series on Tuesday, October 11, and here you can read the best Mariners vs. Astros betting pick and odds.

Seattle and Houston will play the first of a best-of-five ALDS series at Minute Maid Park, and the Astros are -205 moneyline favorites on Bovada Sportsbook, while the total is set at N/A runs. These AL West foes have met 19 times this season, and the Astros lead 12-7.

Mariners swept the Blue Jays to reach the ALDS

The Seattle Mariners entered the postseason with a 90-72 record and were underdogs in the ALWC series in Toronto against the Blue Jays. However, Seattle won both games and swept the Blue Jays in a best-of-three series after defeating them 4-0 and 10-9.

That 10-9 victory was something special. The Mariners were 8-1 down but scored nine runs in the final four innings. They tied the game to 9-9 through J.P. Crawford’s three-RBI double, but the collision between George Springer and Bo Bichette was crucial for those runners to score and for Seattle to get a win. Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer in the 6th to start a historic comeback. Robbie Ray struggled in his start and pitched for only 3.0 innings after allowing four runs on six hits with four strikeouts and no walks. Andres Munoz was credited with a win, while George Kirby earned the save.

Logan Gilbert (13-6) will be on the hill for the Mariners when they face the Astros in the opening game of the ALDS. The 25-year-old right-hander started 32 games this year and registered a solid 3.20 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 174/49 K/BB ratio over 185.2 innings.

Astros ready for the Mariners after winning the AL title

The Houston Astros won the American League regular season title after finishing the campaign with a 106-56 record, seven victories ahead of the New York Yankees. Houston concluded the regular season with three home series, two of which were against playoff teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. Following a 3-0 loss in the opener, Houston beat Philadelphia the next two games, allowing just two runs in the process.

The Astros final game of the regular season was a 3-2 home win over the Phillies. Christian Vasquez, Yordan Alvarez, and Chas McCormick got an RBI apiece, while the latter one was perfect at-bat with three hits on three attempts. Framber Valdez improved to a 17-6 record after pitching for 5.0 shutout innings with ten strikeouts and a walk. Ryan Pressly earned his 33rds save of the campaign.

Justin Verlander (18-4) is named a starter for the ALDS opener against Seattle on Tuesday. The 39-year-old right-hander had 28 starts this year and is one of the AL Cy Young Award favorites with a 1.75 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 185/29 K/BB ratio across 175.0 innings of work.

Trends:

Seattle:

  • 1-6 in the last seven games against Houston
  • 6-14 in the last 20 games when playing on the road against Houston

Houston:

  • 4-1 in the last five games
  • 9-4 in the last 13 games at home

Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros Pick

Although I am impressed with Logan Gilbert’s development and progress in his second year in the majors, his lack of experience, especially playoff experience is not going to help him win this game on Tuesday. Still, he does have an excellent 2.52 ERA in four starts (2-1) and 25.0 innings against Houston this year. 

On the other hand, Justin Verlander, a World Series champion and two-time CY Young Award winner, likes to play against Seattle. He registered a 2.34 ERA in six starts (5-1) and 42.1 innings. The fact that Verlander didn’t have more than three starts against any other opponent in the MLB this season is telling us a lot. This matchup is Verlander’s to win it and I am backing him to do it.

Pick: Take the Astros at -1.5 Run Line

The Total

I mentioned the numbers of these two pitchers, so it’s natural to expect a low-scoring affair, particularly in the postseason. Four out of six H2H games in which Verlander started this year went Under, while that was the case with three out of four Gilbert’s starts. The total has gone Under in eight of Seattle’s last 12 games against the AL West rivals; the total went Under in four of Houston’s previous five games, while the total has gone Under in six of Houston’s last eight games played in October.Pick: Go Under N/A runs