Thursday, September 24, 2015

Kauffman Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: James Paxton (3-4) vs. Johnny Cueto (2-6)

The Seattle Mariners take on the Kansas City Royals on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium. The Mariners send James Paxton to the mound to face Johnny Cueto of the Royals. The opening line for this matchup has Seattle at +156 and Kansas City at -166. The over/under was set at 8. The Mariners have a 74-70 over/under record and a 68-83 run line mark, meaning they cover 45% of the time. The Royals have a 69-67 over/under record and a 81-69 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 54% of the time.

The Mariners head into this matchup with a 74-77 record, including 40-36 on the road. Starting pitcher James Paxton holds a 3-4 record with an earned run average of 3.70 and a WHIP of 1.39. He's pitched 65.2 innings thus far while surrendering 62 hits over that time and when he starts, the Mariners are 5-7. Against the over/under, the Mariners are 6-6 in his starts. The team is averaging 4.5 runs when he starts. The bullpen has an earned run average of 4.06 and they have given up 461 base hits on the year. The bullpen has struck out 432 and walked 192 batters this season while opposing teams hit .251 against them. Seattle has a team average of 8.66 hits allowed per game and are averaging 7.86 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 4.13, they are 22nd in the league.

Seattle is batting .250 as a team, which is good for 22nd in the league and hitting .250 away from home. The Mariners hold a .416 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .312 which is good for 20th in baseball. With 169 hits, Nelson Cruz leads the team while his team ranks 18th in hits per game with 8.56.

With a 48-28 home record, Kansas City will hope to improve on their 87-63 overall mark. With an earned run average of 5.12, Johnny Cueto will come into this game holding a 2-6 record and a 1.41 WHIP. He's pitched 63.1 innings thus far while surrendering 80 hits over that time in which the Royals are 2-8. Against the over/under, the Royals are 8-2 when he starts. The team is averaging 4.3 runs when he takes the field. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.72 and they have given up 390 base hits on the year. The Royals bullpen has struck out 465 batters and walked 176 this season while opposing teams have hit .211 against them. Kansas City has a team average of 8.58 hits per game and are averaging 7.14 strikeouts per nine innings. With a team earned run average of 3.81, they are 12th in the league.

They are batting .271 as a team, which is good for 1st in the league and hitting .280 at home. The Royals hold a .414 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .322 which is good for 11th in baseball. With 167 hits, Eric Hosmer leads the team while his team ranks 4th in hits per game with 9.3.

Seattle has a team fielding percentage of .985 after having committed 87 errors with 1,572 assists and 4,091 put outs for the season. Over the course of this season, the Royals have accumulated 84 errors while having 1,493 assists and 4,026 put outs leading to a .985 fielding percentage.

Seattle Mariners Betting Trends

The Seattle Mariners are 74-70 against the over/under so far this season

The Seattle Mariners are 68-83 against the run line so far this season

Kansas City Royals Betting Trends

The Kansas City Royals are 69-67 against the over/under so far this season

The Kansas City Royals are 81-69 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Seattle Mariners

09/20/15 P Felix Hernandez Undisclosed left last game, "?" next start
07/09/15 P Charlie Furbush Bicep Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/9)

Kansas City Royals

09/19/15 2B Omar Infante Oblique out indefinitely
07/22/15 P Jason Vargas Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/22); out for season
05/17/15 P Brian Flynn Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/16)
04/06/15 P Tim Collins Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (4/6)

Guy's Pick: Take the Mariners

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Guy Bruhn