The Pittsburgh Pirates face the Seattle Mariners. Our MLB odds series has our Pirates Mariners prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Pirates Mariners.
The Pittsburgh Pirates roared at the start of the 2023 MLB season. Few, if any, experts gave this team a chance to do anything substantial, and for good reason. The Pirates have been in the bottom tier of the sport in terms of payroll for some time. They didn’t make especially ostentatious investments like the richest teams in baseball can and have done. They didn’t engineer a roster makeover like the San Diego Padres did by making a win-now effort by acquiring stars in exchange for giving up future elite prospects. The Pirates were supposed to finish below the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, as is often the case. Going 20-10 through 30 games is not what anyone expected. The Pirates led the NL Central and began to create at least some buzz that they could be a factor in the season-long postseason chase.
However, the past few weeks have offered a major reality check. The Pirates are 5-14 in their last 19 games. They barely exceed ,500. Their hitting has fallen off a cliff in the last three weeks, the main reason they’ve come back down to earth. They have not only regressed; what matters even more is that they have regressed relatively quickly. They have immediately given up the advantage they built up, which will make it harder for them to regain the advantage they once had. The good news for the Pirates is that other than the Arizona Diamondbacks, other wild-card contenders aren’t making a move. The other National League teams are stuck at or near .500. Thus, the Pirates know that while the AL will likely require wild card teams to win at least 92 or 93 games, a NL wild card team might enter with 85 or 86 wins. That still seems within reach for the Pirates, though it will continue to be a challenge for this struggling team to stay through the full 162-game schedule.
Here are the MLB odds for the Pirates-Mariners, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Pirates-Mariners Odds
Pittsburgh Pirates: +1.5 (-166)
Seattle Mariners: -1.5 (+138)
More: 7 (-114)
Less: 7 (-106)
How to watch Pirates vs Mariners
TV: AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh (Pirates) / Root Sports (Mariners) / MLB Extra Innings
Broadcast: MLB.tv
Time: 10:10 p.m. ET/7:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Pirates-Mariners LIVE on fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Why pirates could cover the spread
The Pirates send Mitch Keller to the mound for this game. Keller has pitched like a true ace in 2023. He has been elite in the first two months of this season. Keller isn’t just solid; he has often dominated his openings and has clearly set the bar much higher. The Pirates have fed on him and realized how good he is. Pittsburgh knows that every five days, their bullpen is likely to rest and that the offense doesn’t have to be spectacular to win. Seattle has struggled at the plate this season; The Mariners’ hitting woes are well documented. Keller should be able to hold off the Mariners, who have won four straight games in large part because those four games came against the Oakland A’s, the worst team in baseball. Now that Seattle is no longer playing the A’s, things are going to be a lot tougher for the A’s.
Why the Mariners could cover the spread
The Mariners send George Kirby to the mound. Seattle has great pitching, and Kirby is part of the parade of quality weapons on the Mariners’ staff. Kirby pulls off a great move with his fastball. He’s electric with that pitch. He moves it around the zone and is able to run it in and out and move the hitter’s eyes. Kirby should be able to dominate the Pirates’ batting order.
Pirates-Mariners Final Pick and Prediction
In a game where runs appear to be a prize, take the team that gets 1.5 runs on the run line. That’s Pittsburgh.
Pirates-Mariners Final Pick & Prediction: Pirates +1.5
