Mariners vs Royals Prediction and Betting Odds April 22
Mariners vs Royals Betting Preview and Odds
The Royals have only played one road game thus far as they travel cross-country to Seattle for a three game set with the Mariners. WagerTalk MLB analyst Brian Ochsner offers his Seattle Mariners vs Kansas City Royals betting preview for today, with the first pitch scheduled for 9:40pm ET / 6:40pm PT.
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| Friday, April 22 | MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Seattle Mariners -125 vs Kansas City Royals +115 |
| Runline: | Mariners -1.5 (+170) / Rangers +1.5 (-190) |
| Total: | 8 Runs (Over -100 / Under -120) |
| Game Time: | 9:40pm ET / 6:40pm PT |
| Where: | T-Mobile Park in Seattle, WA |
| Weather: | 50 Degrees / Slight Chance of Rain |
Mariners vs Royals Analysis
The Kansas City Royals visit T-Mobile Park to take on the Seattle Mariners in the first of a three-game weekend series. Brad Keller gets the start for the Royals versus Chris Flexen for the Mariners.
Kansas City Leans on Keller For Good Outing
The Royals come into Friday’s action with a 5-6 record, relying heavily on good defense and timely pitching, primarily from the bullpen.
The offense has been downright offensive as Kansas City has a 2nd-worst OPS of .580 and a .206 batting average. One of the bright spots for the club has been right-handed starter Brad Keller.
In 2021, Keller got off to a terrible start in his first four outings. But his two starts in 2022 have been nothing short of excellent, going 13.0 innings against Cleveland and Detroit and giving up just two earned runs – both off a Spencer Torkelsen two-run bomb against the Tigers.
He’s also struck out 10, gave up five hits and walked just three hitters. Last season Keller had control issues on the road, issuing 46 walks in 78.2 innings.
That’s almost two free passes every three innings, which resulted in a bloated WHIP of 1.78 – even though his ERA was almost a full run lower away from Kaufmann Stadium. This game will be his first start away from home.
Flexen Looks to Flex Against Royals
Seattle took a three-game series from the Rangers this week. The hitting got better as the series went along, and the pitching was solid until Thursday night where the Rangers scored eight runs.
Starter Chris Flexen doesn’t have great career numbers, but he did have a solid 2021 campaign with a 3.61 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 31 starts. He went 179.2 innings, struck out 125, walked just 40 hitters and only gave up 19 home runs. That’s about one home run every nine innings.
The 27-year-old right-hander has gotten off to a shaky start in 2022 with a 5.23 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in two starts. In his last start, he had a decent outing versus the Astros and Justin Verlander, giving up three earned runs in six innings with five hits and one walk.
The velocity on his fastball and cutter were down 2.6 and 2.3 mph respectively from last season, which is a concern.
It’s taken most pitchers a little longer to work themselves into regular season form, so it shouldn’t be an issue this early in the year. And Flexen made a quality start against one of the best teams in baseball, even without his best stuff.
Mariners vs Royals Prediction
While Brad Keller has a low 1.38 ERA, he also sports a 3.23 FIP – which could lead to some negative regression in future starts.
If Chris Flexen was able to hold the Astros to three runs, he should be able to hold the 2nd-worst offense in baseball in check.
The Mariners’ bats have come to life, with the offense scoring 23 runs in the last four games. And this is only the Royals’ second game on the road all year. That’s why I like Seattle on the moneyline.
Prediction: Seattle Mariners Moneyline (-125)
Interested in placing a bet on Friday’s Mariners vs Royals American League clash? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
First Pitch | MLB Betting Preview for April 22
Join Drew Martin and a rotating panel of guests for First Pitch as we break down the daily baseball slate from a betting perspective. We have a slate full of intense baseball action including series’ featuring the Yankees vs Guardians, Padres vs Dodgers and Astros vs Blue Jays. Join WagerTalk’s team of MLB betting experts every weekday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT for First Pitch as we discuss the baseball betting slate.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s Live Odds Screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the MLB moneylines, run lines and betting percentages for all of Friday’s baseball games, including this Mariners vs Royals showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Brian Ochsner graduated from Kansas State University with degrees in Accounting and Agribusiness. He’s a life-long baseball fan and “numbers guy” who tolerates the Colorado Rockies (bad ownership), and is a Denver Broncos and Kansas State Wildcats fan. Along with his interest in the sports wagering industry, he enjoys eating good BBQ, reading books on marketing, finance and economics, and playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker.
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