In the afternoon portion of today’s full MLB slate, the Tampa Bay Rays will challenge the Seattle Mariners. Tampa Bay picked up victories in each of the previous two games in this series, by scores of 2-1 and 3-2, and it will be looking to complete the sweep tonight. Ian Seymour and Emerson Hancock will be on the mound for their respective teams.

Looking at the odds, both the Rays and Mariners hold -104 odds of getting the outright win on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Rays hold +161 odds on the -1.5 run line, and the run total is set at seven for the matchup.

Rays at Mariners prediction, preview

The Tampa Bay Rays enter with a 70-46 record on the season, which trails only the Brewers for the best record in baseball. They enter this matchup on a five-game winning streak, and they have won 14 of their past 18. On the season, the Rays have gone 67-49 to the run line, and the run total is 50-61-5 to the over/under.

Ian Seymour will be getting the start for the Rays today, marking his ninth start and 38th overall appearance. The left-hander enters with an 8-3 record, a 4.27 ERA, a 1.126 WHIP, 13 home runs allowed and 99 strikeouts tallied across 84.1 innings pitched. Looking just at his numbers as a starter, Seymour is posting a 4.83 ERA and 1.154 WHIP across 34.2 innings pitched. He has faced off with this Mariners lineup in 16 at-bats in his career, allowing five hits and recording four strikeouts in these opportunities.

The Rays are slashing a collective .258/.328/.402 with a .731 OPS on the season. Tampa Bay ranks seventh in the MLB in hits, 17th in runs, 23rd in home runs, and it has the fewest strikeouts in the league. Yandy Diaz leads the team with 127 hits, along with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs. Junior Caminero is not far behind, with 123 hits, a team-high 30 home runs and 71 RBIs. Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson have each tallied 118+ hits of their own, with Aranda adding 15 home runs and a team-high 72 RBIs. Cedric Mullins, Nick Fortes and Taylor Walls also play notable roles.

The Seattle Mariners hold a 56-62 record on the year, which slots them in third place in the American League West. They are looking to snap a three-game losing streak and have dropped seven of their past 10 games. On the season, the Mariners have gone 44-74 to the run line, and the run total is 58-53-7 to the over/under.

Emerson Hancock will be on the mound for the Mariners, making his 22nd start of the season. The right-hander enters with a 6-6 record, a 3.33 ERA, a 1.074 WHIP, 15 home runs allowed and 108 strikeouts tallied across 116.1 innings pitched. He has struggled a bit of late, coming off back-to-back starts with three earned runs allowed and posting a 4.43 ERA across his past eight. Hancock has faced this Rays lineup in 13 at-bats, with five hits and two strikeouts tallied.

At the plate, the Mariners are slashing a collective .229/.308/.376 with a .685 OPS. They rank 29th in hits, 30th in total runs, 15th in home runs and 13th in the league in total strikeouts. Randy Arozarena leads the production with 113 hits, 14 home runs and 49 RBIs. Cole Young adds 113 hits, 14 home runs and 51 RBIs, while Josh Naylor and Julio Rodriguez have also tallied 109+ hits. Rodriguez is tied with Dominic Canzone for a team-high 18 home runs. Cal Raleigh, Colt Emerson and Victor Robles also play key roles on the team.

Rays at Mariners pick, best bet

These are two teams trending in opposite directions, and expect this to be put on full display again tonight. Even with Seattle having the edge in the pitching matchup, the Mariners rank 29th in hits and dead last in runs. They have tallied just three total runs across their past three games and are averaging just 1.4 runs per game across their past five.

While Emerson Hancock is the better pitcher in theory, he has shown some vulnerabilities as of late. The 27-year-old has allowed eight runs across his past three starts, and he has conceded a home run in each of these games. In contrast, Ian Seymour has allowed just four total runs across his past three starts, and this will be one of the weakest lineups he could face.

The Rays have been in excellent form of late and are showing no signs of slowing down. They enter today’s game on a five-game winning streak, with each victory coming on the road. Tampa Bay has also won five consecutive games as underdogs, while the Mariners have lost four of their last five games as favorites, and they failed to cover the run line in 12 of their last 13 games as favorites.

It feels Tampa Bay is still not getting the level of respect it deserves for the quality of season it is putting together. But this has not stopped the Rays from continuing to mow down opponents, and expect the same tonight. The Rays are 7-2 in their last nine meetings with the Mariners and are in as strong a form as you could ask for. Expect the Rays to continue cementing why they have a place in the contending conversation and complete the sweep against the Mariners today. 

Best bet: Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline (-104)

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