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Astros vs. Mariners Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Saturday, July 20

The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners continue their AL West battle in the middle game of their weekend series on Saturday.

By Benjamin Upson

Jul 19, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; The Houston Astros celebrate defeating the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 19, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; The Houston Astros celebrate defeating the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
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The second half of the season has arrived and the chase is on in the American League West. After once holding a 10 game lead on June 18th, the Seattle Mariners are now tied with the Houston Astros in a rapid turnaround. 

Seattle was 44-31 on that day and now find themselves 8-16 in that span since. Additionally, the Houston Astros were 13-24 on May 9th. How the tables can turn so fast. These two division rivals are clashing this weekend in what is now a crucial series to set the tone for the rest of the way. Here’s how to play Saturday’s matchup.

Astros vs. Mariners Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line

  • Astros: +1.5 (-194)
  • Mariners: -1.5 (+160)

Moneyline

  • Astros: +110
  • Mariners: -130

Total: 7 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Astros vs. Mariners Betting Trends

  • Astros are 26-24 after a win this season
  • Mariners are 30-19 at home this season
  • Astros are 20-8 since June 14th
  • Mariners have worst team batting average (.218)

Astros vs. Mariners: How To Watch

  • Date: Saturday, July 20th
  • Game Time: 9:40 PM
  • Venue: T-Mobile Field, Seattle, WA
  • How To Watch (TV, Streaming): ROOT Sports Northwest, Space City Network, MLB Network (out-of-market), MLB.TV
  • Astros Record: 51-46
  • Mariners Record: 52-47

Astros vs. Mariners Key Players To Watch

Astros

Yordan Alvarez: One of many powerful hitters in this lineup, Alvarez has started showing his strength as of late. Part of the Astros resurgence headed into the break, he’s batting .297 with 19 home runs, 52 RBI and 42 walks on the season. More importantly, he’s posted 3 homers, 11 RBI and 8 walks across 12 games so far in July. Alvarez ranks 12th in MLB for average and tied for 14th in home runs. He’s on pace for career highs in hits, games played and possibly batting average for a single season.

Mariners

Cal Raleigh: While the Mariners offensive struggles continue, Cal Raleigh has been the recent source of consistency for this team. One of the hottest players in the league currently, the 27-year-old catcher has 6 home runs and 11 RBI in just 13 games so far this month. His 20 home runs and 61 RBI place him in the top 20 league wide. With just a .213 average, Raleigh is a perfect example of today’s game, hitting for power. It’s hit or miss with this Mariner offense, but it’s encouraging to see someone stepping up.

Astros vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick

These two teams have had their fair share of important games across the past couple seasons and it takes center stage once again this weekend in Seattle. There have been a lot of “sleepless in Seattle” moments for Mariners fans in the past month, but there’s still time to get right. Following a Friday loss, they look to even up the series on Saturday.

On the mound for H-Town is Framber Valdez. Consistently recognized for his arsenal of quality off-speed pitches, the veteran left-hander is piecing together an above average season. He’s 8-5 with a 3.66 ERA, 82 strikeouts, a 1.28 WHIP with 40 total runs allowed. He is on the heels of his best outing yet on July 10th against the Marlins. Valdez tossed 7 innings of 1 run, 6 hit ball with 10 strikeouts. It was the third time across his past eight outings that he lasted 7 innings. Valdez is durable and certainly makes his impact in this rotation.

Another ace awaits on the opposing side as George Kirby takes the hill for Seattle. Part of a firepower rotation, he’s placed it on full display in 2024. Kirby is 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA, 116 strikeouts, a 0.99 WHIP and just 13 walks allowed across 19 starts. It’s fair to say he could be a dark horse contender for the American League Cy Young award. His best recent performance came against the strong lineup of the Baltimore Orioles on July 2nd. In that one, Kirby allowed only 2 runs on 7 hits in 6.1 innings pitched with 5 strikeouts. With all of his talent, he’s still the No. 3 pitcher in this rotation.

It’s very difficult to choose which side to go with in this game. The Astros have entered this series as the better team. The Mariners continue to have a subpar offensive attack, despite a really solid home record. Both teams are headed in completely opposite directions and anything goes in a series like this. 

More than anything, the Mariners just aren’t scoring at home. The team has averaged 2.57 runs across their past six home games. Seattle's rotation is literally saving their offensive woes. I really like Kirby pitching in this game for Seattle, so I believe betting the Mariners to win the first 5 innings is a good play at even money. Instead of that, I’m more confident in the Astros to win the game at a small plus value price.

Pick: Astros ML (+110)

Note: Game odds are subject to change.

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