Keagan Smith gives you a preview, prediction and pick for today’s game between the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners on Monday’s MLB slate.

The opening days of the 2026 MLB season have been an absolute blast to watch, and as we roll into the second week of action on the diamond, there are plenty of games for fans and bettors alike to choose from.

On Monday night, two of last year’s American League playoff teams square off in the Pacific Northwest. The New York Yankees (3-0) and Seattle Mariners (2-2) have plenty of power bats and could put that pop at the plate on full presentation at T-Mobile Park. Which of these high-upside lineups will have the upper hand in this one?

Come fight the Monday blues with us! Here’s a betting prediction and pick for tonight’s Yankees vs. Mariners matchup courtesy of MLB odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Yankees vs. Mariners prediction, preview

The Yanks are a perfect 3-0 after their opening series, one in which they dominated the San Francisco Giants and outscored them 13-1 with a pair of shutouts. Whether it was excellence from New York’s own pitching staff or a sluggish start from the opposing bats is up for debate, but the truth likely lies somewhere in between. The Yankees have an MLB-best 0.74 WHIP while allowing a miniscule .203 BABIP, also garnering a 27.3% strikeout rate. Those are all extremely encouraging signs, but they’re due for some normalization, of course. As for their own bats, the Yankees have a .692 OPS that sits in the middle of the pack after slashing .243/.304/.388 with just an 0.28 BB/K ratio. They did, however, hit three homers. While Aaron Judge is just 2-for-13, those hits were both dingers and Giancarlo Stanton looks healthy after going a team-best 6-for-13 with a home run himself.

The Mariners went just 2-2 to begin their season with a series against the Cleveland Guardians, who showed plenty of fight. Perhaps the best news for Seattle is that the lineup scored at least four runs in every game and ended with an 8-0 shutout yesterday, so that must feel like an early sign of encouragement. A .208 average isn’t great by any means, but the rest of the slash line looks far better with a .331 OBP and .462 SLG mark. The Mariners’ power bats were on full display with eight home runs and an MLB-high .254 ISO, but the plate process also seemed pretty good overall with an 0.48 K/BB ratio as well. This offense may be scary, but we expected that, yeah? The M’s are also eighth in ERA at 2.92, fifth in WHIP at 0.95 and third in strikeout rate at 32.4%. Things are looking good for the arms even despite a very competitive first series, but this next one will be a harder battle.

This duel on the mound should prove interesting. The Yankees start southpaw Ryan Weathers, who spent the last two seasons with the Miami Marlins. he threw to the tune of a 3.99 ERA and 1.28 WHIP last season with 37 strikeouts in 38.1 innings, but his season came to an abrupt end due to injury and he tossed just eight starts. He did bring 86th-percentile fastball velocity in that limited sample, leaning on a four-seam pitch with an average of 96.9 MPH.

The man opposite him is Luis Castillo, who wasn’t quite in elite form during 2025 but was still an excellent starter. The right-hander logged a 3.54 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 162 strikeouts in 180.2 innings. That strikeout rate is what nosedived for the hurler as it ticked down for the second consecutive year to 21.7%, and he allowed harder contact than he’d probably have preferred with an average exit velocity in the 22nd percentile. However, he could easily return to elite status and boasts more movement on his throws than most pitchers dream of.

Yankees vs. Mariners pick, best bet

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Yankees as -122 Moneyline favorites on the road this evening, while the Mariners hold +102 odds to win outright. The run total sits at a combined 7.5.

Best Bet: Ryan Weathers over 1.5 earned runs allowed (-128)

Weathers’ numbers last season were far from poor, but I think this Mariners lineup may get the better of him tonight. They’re driving the ball with some serious gusto to begin the campaign and he had a very ugly Spring Training with an 8.83 ERA in 17.1 innings, giving up 27 hits with 17 earned runs on four homers. That recent form is far from encouraging and this is a difficult spot to be in against a very talented group of hitters on the road.

Strong Lean: Over 7.5 total runs (-112)

Again, I think Weathers may have a tough time here and allow some early scoring. I don’t think it stops there, though. There’s so much talent in both lineups and each side has game-altering power that can alter an outcome with one swing of the bat. Judge will surely find his stride quickly in terms of average, and Julio Rodriguez won’t hit .067 for long either. It’s only a matter of time before both teams are pouring on the scoring. Even with Castillo out there for a while tonight, I think this over has serious legs.