The Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners enter this game with relatively similar records and standing in their divisions with Arizona 45-51 and Seattle 45-53. Despite the similar records, the Mariners have been far more punitive to bettors given their inflated expectations with a -$1,328 cumulative moneyline compared to Arizona’s -$327.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Mariners have won three of their last five, but they’ve still dropped six of their last ten. The team is also worse at home than on the road with a 21-28 record at Safeco Field.
The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, lost to Seattle the last time they faced each other back in 2012, and are just 20-24 on the road this year. To make matters worse for Arizona, they’re just 3-9 in their last 12 games though they won the last game started by Tuesday’s starter Zack Godley.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Right-handed pitcher Zack Godley will get a chance to follow up on a stellar debut after the rookie threw six scoreless innings against the Brewers in his major league debut. Adding in seven strikeouts and no walks, Godley became the first pitcher in the modern era with such a debut.
The 25-year old is a bit of a late bloomer and has spent most of the year at High-A Visalia where he went 8-3 with a 2.27 ERA and 1.102 WHIP in 75 1/3 innings before his promotion to Double-A Mobile. In Double-A he struggled, allowing eight earned runs in 14 innings before the call to the big leagues.
On the other side is a markedly more experienced pitcher in 34-year old right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma.
Iwakuma is just 2-1 on the year with a 4.50 ERA and 1.167 WHIP in 42 innings. The veteran form Japan has missed much of the year with injury, but has been good since coming back.
Over his last three starts, the veteran boasts a 2-0 record and 1.74 ERA.
QUOTE TO NOTE
After Godley’s last start, D-back’s manager Chip Hale was particularly impressed, saying:
“He just did a beautiful job of following the game plan we gave him. He obviously has really good stuff. He fit right in and didn’t seem to be bothered by anything.”
That mentality is especially impressive for a pitcher with such limited experience above High-A ball.
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
Godley’s first start aside, the hurler is still really inexperienced, even at the high levels of the minors, given that and Iwakuma’s apparent return to form, the Mariners have the edge on the mound, but at the plate, the Diamondbacks have the advantage.
Arizona has scored 66 more runs than Seattle this year despite 23 fewer home runs. For the Mariners, it has often been a case where it’s home run or bust with Nelson Cruz leading the way in the long ball department with 24.
With Cruz in the middle of the lineup and players like Kyle Seager, Robinson Cano and even Seth Smith, this team’s offense should be much better than it is. It’s been better over the last month with Seattle ranked sixth in runs scored for the month of July with Cano finally heating up.
The second baseman has struggled all year, but has finally bumped his OPS+ over 100. He’s hitting .345 in July with a 1.026 OPS and six of his 10 home runs.
While Seattle has more punch of late, the Diamondbacks have had punch all year with Paul Goldschmidt leading the league with a .345 average and 74 RBIs. The team also has a deep and talented outfield.
PROP TALK
With such limited exposure to each other, these teams haven’t faced the opposing pitcher too frequently, giving up no real useful head-to-head data.
Since the All-Star break, however, the Mariners power has surged. Cruz had gone cold in June and much of July, but he has three home runs since the break while Cano who was cold all year has four.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The D-backs have scored more runs, but the Mariners offense is spiking right now. Add that to a more experienced starting pitcher, and the pendulum certainly swings in the home team’s direction. In the bullpen, these two teams are quite evenly matched.
All in all, the numbers point to the Mariners over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
Seattle 5, Arizona 3
The MLB lines for this contest will first be released by BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The ballgame pitting the Arizona Diamondbacks versus the Seattle Mariners will commence Tuesday, July 28, 2015, at 10:10 p.m. ET at Safeco Field. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
