Mariners vs Athletics Odds, Picks, and Betting Lines (August 23)

• The Oakland Athletics are -130 favorites over the Seattle Mariners on Monday (August 23rd, 9:40 pm ET)
• Oakland will give the ball to Paul Blackburn (0-1, 5.06 ERA), while Seattle will counter with Marco Gonzales (5-5, 4.10 ERA)
• Read below for odds, analysis and a betting prediction

There’s just seven games on the MLB schedule Monday (August 23rd), with the action culminating with an AL West showdown in Oakland. The Seattle Mariners are in town for a mini two-game set and will look to extend the A’s losing streak to three games.

Mariners vs Athletics Odds

Odds as of August 23rd at FanDuel.

Oakland has actually lost six of its past eight, and is tied with Boston for the final Wild Card spot, three games ahead of Seattle. Despite their recent struggles, the A’s still opened up as a -130 favorite, in a game that features a total of 9.

First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 pm ET at the Oakland Coliseum, with cloudy, 59 degree temperatures in the forecast.

Probable Pitchers

The A’s will give the ball to 27-year-old Paul Blackburn, who’ll be making just his second start of the season. The right-hander made his season debut last week, surrendering five hits and three runs over 5.1 innings to the Chicago White Sox in a 3-2 defeat.

Have to echo what the A's broadcast is saying here, but Paul Blackburn is doing a very good job right now. Had to rush onto the scene to be the starter, and has retired five in row heading into the sixth inning.

— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) August 19, 2021

Blackburn has bounced between the minors and the big leagues his entire career, never making more than 10 starts in an MLB season. His average fastball velocity hovers around 90 mph, and he’s allowed a hard hit rate of 35% over his five year career. He’s never been a big strikeout producer, even at the minor league level, and his 4.77 career xFIP suggests he’s not a pitcher to fear.

Gonzales vs Blackburn

Fortunately for Oakland fans, the Mariners are not exactly a lineup to fear either. Seattle ranks below league average in runs, slugging and OPS, and boasts the worst batting average in all of baseball.

The Mariners will counter with Marco Gonzales, who’s in immaculate form. After a shaky start to the season, he’s allowed one run or less in four straight starts, and is fresh off 5.1 shutout innings versus Texas.

FYI: Marco Gonzales is 3-0 w/ a 1.87 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over his last 7 starts. pic.twitter.com/dP1nwumepH

— Matt Williams (@MattWi77iams) August 19, 2021

The 29-year-old hasn’t allowed more than two runs in an outing since before the All-Star break, and has won four straight decisions. He’s 1-0 against the A’s in two starts this season, posting a 2.79 ERA, and a 10-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

Much like Seattle, Oakland is not a lineup to fear, and the A’s recent poor play has coincided with a severe power outage at the plate.

Mariners vs Athletics Pick

Oakland is averaging less than three runs per game over its last eight (2.87), and has exceeded four runs against Seattle just four times in 10 meetings this season. The over hit once in seven A’s games last week, while the Mariners have cleared three runs only three times in their past 11 contests.

The combination of two struggling offenses and the outstanding form of Gonzales makes this a prime under candidate. Blackburn is most definitely a wild card in all of this, but under backers should be encouraged by his recent outing against the powerful White Sox.

Even if he does struggle however, the A’s bullpen is more than capable of picking up the slack. Oakland relievers enter play with fourth lowest ERA in the Majors.

Pick: Under 9 (-112)