Red Sox vs Mariners Odds, Betting LInes, and Probable Pitchers (Sep. 15)

• The Red Sox and Mariners wrap up a three-game set on Wednesday afternoon
• Boston is a -130 road favorite with Tanner Houck on the hill
• Find the odds, preview, and prediction, below

The American League Wild Card race stays in the spotlight on Wednesday when the Boston Red Sox (81-65, 37-36 away) and the Seattle Mariners (78-66, 42-31 home) conclude a three-game series with huge playoff implications.

First-pitch is scheduled for 4:10 PM ET at T-Mobile Park. As of Tuesday, Boston is tied with the Yankees for the final Wild Card spot, while Seattle is two games behind.

Tanner Houck takes the mound in the series finale here for the Red Sox and the Mariners counter with left-hander Marco Gonzales, who has won three straight starts.

Red Sox vs Mariners Odds

Odds as of September 14th at DraftKings.

Probable Pitchers

Houck gets the ball on Wednesday for the Red Sox as he makes his 12th start of the year. While his 0-4 record is nothing to write home about, Houck does have a 3.54 ERA in 53.1 innings. He’s also struck out 63 batters but walked 21. The righty seldom pitches deep into ballgames and that will likely be the case once again. In fact, he hasn’t gone more than 5.1 innings all season and lasted just 3.2 frames in his most recent appearance against the White Sox, allowing three earned runs.

Tanner Houck has started 10 games this year, has a 3.26 ERA and has … zero wins.

If the season ended today, he would have the lowest ERA with at least 10 starts to not get a victory. (And ignore Ryne Stanek — he was an opener) pic.twitter.com/RwaBArcOom

— Michael Clair (@michaelsclair) September 10, 2021

Command has definitely been an issue but thankfully, Houck hasn’t been hit around too hard even when he’s struggling to throw strikes. The 25-year-old appeared in just three games last season after getting called up in September and has never actually faced the Mariners in his young career. That being said, no one in the Seattle lineup is familiar with the righty.

Houck vs Gonzales

Pitching hasn’t been a strong suit for the Mariners this season, but Gonzales has been relatively consistent. He’s gone 8-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 21 starts while striking out 88 batters in 118.1 innings of work. The long ball has been a massive issue for the southpaw though, giving up 25 home runs. In fact, he’s allowed seven of them across his last four outings.

That was the 25th home run allowed by Marco Gonzales this season. That’s the most dingers he’s allowed in a big league season. Previous high was 23 in 203 innings in 2019. #Mariners

— Luke Arkins (@luke_arkins) September 11, 2021

On September 10th, Gonzales held the Diamondbacks to three runs, all unearned, in six frames. The 29-year-old has been stellar in his previous seven appearances, posting a 2.20 ERA and 5-0 record. Although Gonzales has been pitching very well lately, he hasn’t enjoyed much success against the Red Sox, compiling a career 5.87 ERA in three appearances. There are five hitters in Boston’s lineup who are hitting over .400 off the lefty.

Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers

Boston has been hit with a brutal wave of COVID-19 as ace Chris Sale went on the shelf with the virus. Nick Pivetta and Xander Bogaerts just returned after positive tests as well. Needless to say, it’s crunch time for the Red Sox, who are just 4-6 in their last 10 and have lost two straight prior to Tuesday’s contest.

🔙2️⃣🔙 pic.twitter.com/wEaqReUUYY

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 14, 2021

The Wild Card is set to come right down to the wire and Alex Cora will be hoping Sale is back in the rotation later this week as Boston looks to make a push. Offensively, the team has been solid, hitting .269, which is third in the bigs. However, their average goes all the way down to .241 in road games.

Despite batting an MLB-worst .224 this season, the Mariners are somehow still in the playoff race. That’s much in part to their ability to go yard, though. Seattle has slugged 181 homers in 2021. It’s arguably their primary source of offense. While this Red Sox series is extremely important, they have two three-game sets with the Oakland Athletics within the next couple of weeks, who are also vying for a WC berth.

Can you feel it? ⚡

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 14, 2021

Red Sox vs Mariners Prediction

I expect Houck to put together a solid outing, but the problem is he doesn’t pitch deep into games and the Boston bullpen has been dismal this season with an ERA well over four. However, there are numerous guys on the Red Sox roster who absolutely rake against Gonzales. With that in mind, take Boston to win the series finale behind an electric offensive performance. Also, expect the “over” in runs to be hit.

Pick: Boston Red Sox moneyline (-130), Over 8.5 Runs (-110)