Angels vs Mariners Betting Preview: Seattle Looks to Rebound After Rocky Start

Mariners Without Former Cy Young Winner Robbie Ray

April 3, 2023 118 3 minutes readMLB Picks & Parlays

Angels vs Mariners Betting Preview: Seattle looks to rebound after rocky start — Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP

So far so good for Ohtani, Trout and LA
Seattle looking to bounce back

The 2023 MLB season is off to an inauspicious start for the Seattle Mariners, as former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray landed on the 15-day injured list after failing to make it out of the fourth inning in Friday’s loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Ray, who issued five walks and had diminished velocity, will now be shut down for a few weeks with a left flexor strain.

To add insult to injury, the Mariners dropped three of four games against Cleveland. Now, it’s on to American League West play for Seattle, which welcomes the Los Angeles Angels into T-Mobile Park for a three-game set starting Monday. The Mariners are a -130 favorite to win the series, with Los Angeles at even money.

Let’s take a closer look at the MLB series odds in our Angels vs Mariners betting preview.

So Far so Good for Ohtani, Trout and LA

Los Angeles took care of business in its opening series, beating up on the lowly Athletics. The Angels outscored Oakland 19-1 over the final two games after squandering Shohei Ohtani’s six-inning gem on Opening Day.

The two-way superstar from Japan socked his first home run of the season in Sunday’s 6-0 victory, going back-to-back with Mike Trout. Ohtani (4-for-12, three RBI), Trout (4-for-11, 2 RBI) and rookie catcher Logan O’Hoppe (4-for-10, 1 HR, 6 RBI) are all off to strong starts.

Los Angeles Angels went 73-89 overall and 33-48 on the road last season, missing the playoffs for the eighth straight year. With Ohtani set to hit free agency next offseason, the Angels’ window to contend could soon be closing. Knowing that, they added key additions across the board this winter in Tyler Anderson, Brandon Drury, Hunter Renfroe and Gio Urshela.

Seattle Looking to Bounce Back

After shutting out Cleveland 3-0 on Opening Day thanks to Ty France’s three-run home run, the Mariners proceeded to drop the next three games at home. It was a troubling start for the Mariners, who also lost No. 2 starter Robbie Ray to the IL and didn’t do much damage with the bats. Seattle managed just 12 runs over the four-game series.

Unsurprisingly, most of the production came from reigning AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez (6-of-18, 1 HR), France (6-of-16) and catcher Cal Raleigh (4-of-14, 4 RBI).

Seattle was 46-35 at home last season and 90-72 overall, snapping a 21-year playoff drought. Hoping to build off that, the Mariners added some thump to their lineup this winter in Teoscar Hernandez.

Game 1

Reid Detmers vs George Kirby,Monday (9:40 p.m. ET)

Kirby, a former first-round pick, makes his 2023 debut after a strong rookie season in which he went 8-5 with a 3.39 ERA over 130 innings. The right-hander also tossed eight shutout innings in the postseason. While Kirby won’t be on an official innings limit, the Mariners may ramp him up slowly this season. Keep that in mind as you read our Angels vs Mariners betting preview.

Seattle is currently -1.5 (+155) on the run line and -140 to win outright, with Los Angeles coming in at +1.5 (-175) and+125. The over/under odds are as follows:over 7 (-120), under 7 (EV).

Game 2

Jose Suarez vs Luis Castillo, Tuesday(9:40 p.m. ET)

Castillo — Seattle’s prized trade acquisition last July — settled for a no-decision after tossing six shutout innings on Opening Day. He allowed only one hit and struck out six. A three-run home run by France broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning.

Game 3

Shohei Ohtani vs Chris Flexen, Wednesday (4:10 p.m. ET)

Coming off a strong showing at the World Baseball Classic, Ohtani spun six scoreless innings and struck out 10 on Opening Day. However, the 28-year-old’s gem was wasted in the eighth when reliever Aaron Loup ran into trouble. Loup served up a game-tying double to Tony Kemp, and then lost the game entirely when Aledmys Diaz singled Kemp home two batters later.

Flexen, who threw four innings out of the bullpen on Friday, will start in place of the injured Ray. While Flexen is a solid depth option, he doesn’t offer much upside in our Angels vs Mariners betting preview.

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