Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners Preview: Seattle Seeks to Maintain Mastery of A’s and Boost Wild Card Chances

We are set for a wild final week in the American League, as five teams are battling it out for the two AL wild-card spots. Two of them open what is more or less an elimination series tonight in Seattle, as the Mariners host the Oakland A’s. MLB betting odds at BetOnline Sportsbook give the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees the edge, but some chaos over the next week could see the winner of the series in Seattle land a wild-card berth.

The Mariners are three games behind the Yankees and two behind the Red Sox, with the A’s a further game back of the Mariners. With the Yankees taking on the Toronto Blue Jays, who are a game ahead of the Mariners, and then the Tampa Bay Rays, the door is far from shut.

The A’s looked just about done after a disastrous four-game sweep at home against the Mariners last week, but they revived their hopes with a sweep of the Houston Astros. The Mariners, meanwhile, kept their hopes alive by following up their sweep in Oakland with a series win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Oakland A’s (85-71) vs Seattle Mariners (86-70), AT&T SportsNet Northwest, 10:10 p.m. ET

Probable Pitchers

• Oakland A’s: Cole Irvin (10-14, 3.99 ERA)
• Seattle Mariners: Chris Flexen (13-6, 3.56 ERA)

Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners MLB Betting Odds

Moneyline

• Oakland A’s +108
• Seattle Mariners -126

Total

• OVER 8.5 (-105)
• UNDER 8.5 (-115)

Run Line

• Oakland A’s +1.5 (-188)
• Seattle Mariners -1.5 (+155)

Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Monday, September 27, 2021 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Want to see MLB betting odds from several top online sportsbooks for each MLB matchup every day? Check out our MLB odds.

Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners MLB Betting Consensus

Moneyline

• 75% Oakland A’s
• 25% Seattle Mariners

Total (at O/U 8.5)

• 25% OVER 8.5
• 75% UNDER 8.5

Run Line (at +/-1.5)

• 75% Oakland A’s +1.5
• 25% Seattle Mariners -1.5

Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners Matchup: MLB Betting Picks, Odds, Stats and More

Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners Betting Outlook

The Mariners may not end up making the playoffs, but it has been a great season for a team that was not expected to be in the mix.

There aren’t a lot of household names, unless you happen to live in the Seattle area, but the Mariners are here because a lot of guys have stepped up in key roles and key moments. Seattle is 14-7 in extra-inning games and 33-18 in one-run games, and if they do reach the postseason, will be a tough out.

Flexen is one of the guys who has stepped up in a big way for the Mariners. He entered this season with a 3-11 career record and an 8.07 career ERA. If the league gave out a Most Improved Player award, he would be in the running. In his last start, he shut down the A’s in Oakland last Wednesday, allowing one run and three hits and striking out eight in seven innings.

If the A’s don’t reach the postseason, they will have results like that to look back on with regret. The A’s have won only four of 16 against the Mariners, while they are 32-22 against the rest of the AL West. Is that bad? That’s bad.

Irvin will be hoping that his last 2021 start against the Mariners will erase the others. In four previous matchups with Seattle this season, Irvin is 0-4 with a 7.56 ERA. In only 16.2 innings, he has allowed 29 hits, seven walks, and 14 runs (all earned).

Irvin was the opposing pitcher in Flexen’s gem last Wednesday, and he actually had his best start of his four against Seattle, allowing three runs in five innings. But he was generous with baserunners, allowing seven hits and three walks, and such generosity could be fully punished tonight.

MLB Betting Trends to Consider for Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners

• The Mariners have dominated the head-to-head season series with the A’s. Seattle is 12-4 against Oakland this season, including a 9-1 record against the A’s in three second-half series.
• The Mariners have won nine in a row against the A’s since losing their first matchup of the second half.
• Over the course of the season, the Mariners have a 43-27 record against AL West rivals. That is the second-best mark in the AL West. The Houston Astros top the division with a 47-26 mark in division games.

Oakland A’s vs Seattle Mariners Best Bet

Seattle Mariners ML

The picks may favor the A’s, and they are indeed coming off of an impressive sweep of the Astros. But Seattle has had Oakland’s number all season long, and they have especially had Irvin’s number. That will continue tonight, as the Mariners will pick up a win that will be a potentially lethal blow for the A’s and their postseason hopes.