Seattle Mariners vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction: Both teams eye a win in this opener

T-Mobile Park will host the MLB series between Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays. This game will be the opener of a three-game series. Which team takes the lead?

The Seattle Mariners are coming off a series win over the San Francisco Giants. In that series, the Seattle Mariners started with a 6-5 win in game one but lost 3-4 in game 2. However, the final encounter saw the Seattle Mariners step up with a 4-3 win, ending consecutive series losses. Heading into this game, the Seattle Mariners have only won one series in their last three games. The Seattle Mariners have a 66-65 record this season and are seated 8th in the American League. 

The Tampa Bay Rays are coming off a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers which ended in a defeat. In that series, the Tampa Bay Rays struggled in the opener as they lost 7-3, but then stepped up to an 8-9 win in game 2. However, their finale encounter saw the Tampa Bay Rays score only one run, while conceding three. In the meantime, their prior series saw this team splitted a win with the Oakland Athletics, while sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks. Moving into this opening game, Tampa Bay Rays record has improved to 65-65, leaving them seated 9th in the American League. 

I will back the Seattle Mariners in this one despite the fact the two teams are playing at the same level. In their last series, the Tampa Bay Rays won, and I expect more from them in this one as they are expected to draw momentum from it. However, this should be a revenge-like encounter for the Seattle Mariners, especially at home, and I do not expect them to waste it.