Astros vs. Mariners: Picks, predictions, how to watch Friday’s game

The Astros and Mariners square off on Friday with first pitch set for 9:40 p.m. EST. The game takes place at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Justin Verlander gets the start on the mound for the Astros, while Chris Flexen will start for the Mariners.

While they have had a great month of May, the Astros are in sole possession of first place in the AL West. The biggest question this offseason for Houston was how they would fill Carlos Correa’s spot. They’ve seemed to have no issue finding a replacement for Correa. Jeremy Peña is hitting .293 with seven home runs and 22 runs batted in. Michael Brantley has been their best average hitter as he’s hitting .279 with three home runs and 16 runs batted in. On the mound, Justin Verlander has been phenomenal this season, as he’s 6-1 with a 1.22 ERA. He has the best ERA in baseball and is tied with Walker Buehler for the most wins.

After some big trades this offseason, the Mariners have gotten off to a sluggish start. The two big bats of Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker have been big struggles in Seattle. Ty France has been the best hitter for the Mariners by far. France is hitting .331 with six home runs and 31 runs batted in. After a red-hot start, J.P. Crawford has cooled off a bit as he’s now hitting .296 with four home runs and 11 runs batted in. Chris Flexen has had his struggles this season. He’s 1-6 with a 4.98 ERA this season.

Astros vs. Mariners

Pitchers: Justin Verlander vs. Chris Flexen
First pitch: 9:40 p.m. EST
Astros local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Mariners local broadcast: Root Sports Northwest
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Point spread: Astros -1.5
Run total: 7.5
Moneyline odds: Astros -200, Mariners +170

Moneyline pick: Astros -200

With Justin Verlander on the mound, you can’t bet against the Astros in this one. Him and Chris Flexen have been the opposite of each other this season. While Verlander will probably go seven stellar innings, I would expect the Astros lineup to get Flexen out of the game before he reaches five innings.

Player prop pick: Yordan Alvarez over 1.5 total bases (+100)

There is a good chance Alvarez puts one out tonight as he’s hit very well against Flexen in his career. In his career versus Flexen, Alvarez is 3-7 with two home runs and five runs batted in. It’s been a little while since Alvarez has hit a home run, so look for him to hit for some power tonight.

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