The ice-cold Astros head to Seattle to take on the Mariners who themselves are coming off of a three-game sweep at the hands of the sizzling Rangers. Our handicapper digs into the numbers and gives out his top pick.

As the Houston Astros (85-71) and the Seattle Mariners (84-71) look to rebound from challenging weekends, they gear up for a pivotal three-game series in Seattle on Monday night. The red-hot Luis Castillo, aiming for his 15th win, will take the mound for the Mariners, facing off against Houston's Justin Verlander.

MLB Betting Odds

Monday's baseball betting market initially favored Seattle, with Castillo on the hill, at around -120 over Houston and Verlander. The over/under was set at 7.5 runs, with both figures holding steady in the early betting action.

Astros-Mariners Betting Preview

In a surprising turn of events, the Houston Astros were swept in a three-game series at home by the Kansas City Royals over the weekend, culminating in a 6-5 loss in the series finale on Sunday. Prior to this, the Astros dropped two out of three games to the Baltimore Orioles, followed by another two out of three to the Royals.

Over the last four series, Houston has struggled, losing all four, and in their last 12 games, the Astros have managed just three wins.

On the other hand, the Seattle Mariners are coming off a series sweep by the Texas Rangers, suffering a 9-8 loss in Sunday's series finale. This followed their three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics but was preceded by a three-game sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Seattle's recent performance has been inconsistent, with a 1-2 record over the last three series and a 3-6 record in the last nine games.

With records of 85-71 and 84-71 respectively, the Astros and Mariners are trailing the Texas Rangers by 2.5 and three games in the AL West. However, Houston currently holds the No. 3 position in the American League wild-card race, just half a game ahead of Seattle.

In head-to-head matchups this season, the Mariners have won eight out of ten games against the Astros.

Monday's Pitching Match-Up

Luis Castillo has delivered three consecutive quality starts in his last three outings. In his most recent appearance, he held the Oakland Athletics to just two runs and five hits over seven innings, securing a 7-2 victory for the Mariners. Over his last three starts, Castillo has conceded only four runs and 12 hits across 19 innings, recording 10 walks and 24 strikeouts.

With Castillo on the mound, the Mariners have excelled this season, posting a 19-12 record. Impressively, they have emerged victorious in all of Castillo's last ten starts.

In two starts this season against the Astros, Castillo allowed a total of five runs, four of which were earned, along with 10 hits over 14 innings. These games were evenly split, with Seattle winning one and losing one.

Justin Verlander has struggled recently, earning just one quality start in his last four outings. In his most recent start, he gave up three runs and eight hits over six innings, resulting in an 8-7 Astros loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Over the course of his last four starts, Verlander has allowed 15 earned runs and 28 hits across 26 innings.

Since his acquisition in the trade deadline, Houston has recorded a 5-4 record with Verlander, but the veteran pitcher has only won one of his last four starts.

During three starts against the Mariners last year, Verlander yielded eight runs and 19 hits over 18 2/3 innings. Houston won all three of these games.

Splits With the Sticks

This season, the Houston Astros have maintained a .253 batting average against right-handed pitchers, complemented by a .329 team on-base percentage and a .422 team slugging percentage.

In contrast, the Seattle Mariners have a .239/.320/.420 slash line against right-handed pitching. However, it's worth noting that the Mariners have scored at least five runs in five of their last six games.

The Bullpens

The Seattle Mariners' bullpen boasts a 3.54 ERA this season, along with a 1.26 WHIP and a 2.90 K/BB ratio. Recently, closer Ryan Pressly has encountered struggles, which resulted in a blown save on Monday night.

On the other hand, the Houston Astros' bullpen possesses a 3.64 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a 2.73 K/BB ratio.

MLB Betting Trends

The Houston Astros have been solid on the road this season, boasting a 46-29 record. They have also performed admirably against right-handed starters, with a 58-50 record in such matchups.

Seattle has achieved a 41-33 record at home, and they have maintained a 63-54 record against right-handed starters.

Totals Report

In terms of totals this season, the Houston Astros have seen 82 games leaning toward the over, with 70 games favoring the under.

For the Seattle Mariners, 78 of their 150 games have leaned toward the over, while 72 have favored the under.

At T-Mobile Park this season, 43 games have ended below the projected total, while 31 have surpassed it.