Drew Martin advised backing the Seattle Mariners at –120 in Citi Field because of Bryan Woo’s current form and the matchup advantages. Woo, 25, has recorded nine strikeouts in each of his last two outings and owns a tidy 3.00 ERA. Martin contrasted that with Mets debutant Nolan McLean, who walked 50-plus batters at Triple-A Syracuse and now faces major-league nerves. The Mets have lost nine of their last ten, while Seattle is 8-2 over the same span. Martin added that the Mariners rank top-10 in both overall and vs-righty wRC+ and OPS, and that their bullpen has been sharper of late. With a clear pitching, lineup, and momentum edge, Martin labeled Seattle a playable short favorite.

Kenny G recommended laying the –130 with the Mariners. His case: Seattle’s bullpen has been steady all season (3.66 ERA) and Brian Wu rolls in with a 10-6 record and 3.08 ERA while still striking out hitters at a 29% clip. The Mets counter with 24-year-old Nolan McLean making his big-league debut and a relief corps that was worn down after surrendering 11 runs the night before and now owns a 3.87 ERA. Offensively, the Mets have fallen to 21st in batting average, whereas Seattle is suddenly 10th in runs and features a red-hot Cal Raleigh leading a unit that hung 11 on New York in Game 1. Kenny emphasized he rarely backs a club relying on a debut starter unless the kid is an elite prospect, so the combination of bullpen fatigue, suspect offense, and an unknown arm pushes him firmly toward the Mariners at the current price—good enough, in his words, to reach the pinned comment.

Guy Boston Sports ‘kind of likes’ the Mets as short home dogs with Sean Manaea opposite Luis Castillo. Castillo’s road ERA is 4.34 with a .324 wOBA allowed, and this will be his first start away from Seattle in nearly three weeks after a cross-country flight. Manaea’s slider is his put-away pitch and Seattle ranks 26th against sliders on the site’s dashboard. With the Mets sleeping in their own beds and the plus money attached, he thinks the edge tilts to New York.

Kenny G grabbed Seattle at +100 because Luis Castillo has rattled off three straight gems to lower his ERA to 3.19, while Sean Manaea’s ERA has ballooned to 4.33 after rough outings versus Milwaukee and Cleveland. The Mariners bullpen (3.64 ERA) adds support, and the Mets have dropped nine of ten with a lineup only 15th in runs and 21st in average. Even though New York is 39-23 at Citi Field, Kenny prefers the pitching edge and recent form. He’d also lean under 8.5 but sees the side as the cleaner play.