#970 ASA PLAY ON 8* Seattle Mariners -1.5 on the Run Line (-110) over Oakland Athletics, Thursday at 9:40 PM ET - Now we get even more line value here as we fade a team on a 7 game losing streak. Oakland's JP Sears has some decent numbers but the Mariners Logan Gilbert has been even better and so now the price at -1.5 runs in the pick'em range means we have excellent value on the run line in this one. We have successfully gone to the "play against" well a handful of times already this season when it comes to the Athletics. That said, we have no hesitation in this spot again, and just like yesterday, will come right back and go against them again here as Oakland continues to be the worst team in baseball. The Mariners have struggled this season against teams with a winning record but have feasted against non-winning teams this season and have gone 18-7 against them! Oakland is 10-41 this season and simply consistently bad. They are 5-20 at home and 5-21 on the road this season. Yes, they consistently lose 80% of their games. Of course that is why they are a huge underdog here but we can get a reasonable price on the Mariners by playing Seattle at -1.5 on the run line in this one. The Mariners have won by 2 or more runs in 20 of their 25 wins this season. The A's have had 32 of 41 losses by at least a 2-run margin this season. This included, prior to Tuesday's 1-run loss, 14 of 15 losses by at least a 2-run margin of defeat for Oakland. The Athletics have a bullpen ERA of 6.57 which ranks dead last in the majors while Seattle's relief pitching has a 3.07 ERA for one of the best marks in the majors. We like the Mariners to win big here regardless of the starting pitchers. However, the expected starting pitching match-up does favor Seattle as well. The expected starter for Seattle is Gilbert. The starter slated for the Athletics is Sears. The Oakland left-hander has a 4.99 ERA and an 0-3 record so far this season. Sears has some good numbers versus Mariners but has only faced them once at Seattle and we expect the M's to be stronger against him here on their home field after seeing him at Oakland earlier this season. Gilbert was 13-6 with a 3.20 ERA last season and now this season he has been heating up with 29 strikeouts compared to just 16 hits allowed so far in the month of May. This game has home blowout written all over it. We like the Mariners on the run line in this one and look for another big win just like Monday's and Wednesday's routs that sandwiched the tight 1-run win Tuesday (17-3 combined score in the two blowouts).