The Astros (56-40) sit atop the AL West standings as they travel west to Seattle to face the Mariners (51-45). The two division rivals have split six matchups so far this season, so Friday's Astros vs. Mariners game will give one team the lead, with first pitch at 10:10 p.m. ET.
We’ll break down today's Astros vs. Mariners predictions and ive you the best MLB DFS picks for PrizePicks, including pitcher strikeout projections and hitter projections to target today.
Luis Castillo (6-5, 4.17 xFIP) gets the start for the Mariners, while left-hander Brandon Walter heads to the hill for Houston.
Get started on PrizePicks today to get $50 instantly in Lineups after your first $5 Lineup.
Astros vs. Mariners Predictions – Friday, July 18
Here are the top Astros vs. Mariners predictions and player picks for the divisional matchup on Friday, July 18, on PrizePicks MLB. Click to read more about each pick.
- Astros P Brandon Walter – 16.5 Pitching Outs
- Mariners SS J.P. Crawford – 6 Hitter Fantasy Score
- Astros 1B Christian Walker – 4.5 Hitter Fantasy Score
Astros P Brandon Walter – 16.5 Pitching Outs
- Astros P Brandon Walter has produced at least 18 outs in five of his last six starts.
- In his last outing against Cleveland, Walter tossed six innings and allowed two hits in a 4-2 defeat.
- Both starts that Walter compiled less than 17 outs this season came on the road against Colorado and Tampa Bay.
- The previous nine starting pitchers to face the Mariners have failed to pitch at least six innings.
- Walter owns a strong 24.2% strikeout rate, while walking a total of two batters in seven starts.
- This is the first time Walter is facing Seattle. C Cal Raleigh is batting .333 against left-handed pitching, while the Mariners are batting .247 against southpaws.
Mariners SS J.P. Crawford – 6 Hitter Fantasy Score
- Mariners SS J.P. Crawford caught fire before the All-Star break, posting a 14-game hitting streak.
- Crawford has eclipsed 1.5 Hits+Runs+RBIs projection in six consecutive games, including scoring at least one run in five contests.
- In 16 of the last 18 home games, Crawford has recorded at least one hit, including nine multi-hit performances.
- However, Crawford has struggled against the Astros this season, going 3-of-21 at the plate and not driving in a single run.
- Crawford is batting .209 against left-handed pitching, compared to .319 against right-handed hurlers.
Astros 1B Christian Walker – 4.5 Hitter Fantasy Score
- Astros 1B Christian Walker went hitless in his last two games, going 0-of-8 against Texas.
- Walker has compiled an eight-game road hitting streak since June 21.
- Walker hasn’t seen success against Seattle P Luis Castillo, going 2-of-15 with five strikeouts in his career.
- In July, Walker posted a pair of four-hit games against Los Angeles and Colorado on the road.
- During this eight-game away hitting streak, Walker has eclipsed five fantasy points each time.
Make MLB Predictions on PrizePicks
Houston owns a five-game edge over Seattle in the AL West heading into this key division series this weekend.
This game between the Astros and Mariners also leaves us with some appealing player picks to consider on PrizePicks.
There is a wide variety of player stat projections available, so you can make MLB predictions however you’d like to win real money. Just pick at least two player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.
Check out the Playbook throughout the remainder of the MLB season for more analysis for your PrizePicks and MLB DFS Lineups.
