Pick on the Moneyline for Guardians-Mariners on March 30

The Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians are looking to build off of their 2022 playoff runs as they open the 2023 season facing one-another in Seattle.

Cleveland Guardians vs. Seattle Mariners (-120, 6.5)

The Mariners give Luis Castillo the opening day start after he blossomed after being traded from the Cincinnati Reds to Seattle, posting a 2.86 ERA between his 14 regular and postseason starts in Seattle, closing the season with five runs allowed across his final four starts.

The Guardians counter with Shane Bieber, who's strikeouts per nine innings rate fell to 8.9 last season with a 2.88 ERA after supplying a 2.48 ERA with 13.2 strikeouts per nine innings across the past two seasons.

Both teams back up their respective starters with solid bullpens with the Guardians fifth in Major League Baseball last season in bullpen ERA while the Mariners were sixth, but the lack of power hitting for Cleveland meant no room for error for their pitchers.

The only team that hit fewer home runs last season than the Guardians were the Detroit Tigers while the Mariners were fourth in the American League in home runs last season.

The Mariners also addressed their glaring offensive weakness of an inability to get on base consistently last season with adding both Kolten Wong and Teoscar Hernandez to fortify a lineup that was 28th in the league in batting average last season at .230. Wong has hit at least .249 in six straight seasons, spending the past two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers while Hernandez had a combined 57 home runs and a .279 batting average the past two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Mariners had a 6-1 record against the Guardians last season and will continue that success in their home opener on Thursday.

The Play: Mariners -120

  
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