Mariners vs. Astros prediction and odds for Friday, Aug. 18

The Mariners are winners of three straight as the team heads to Houston to face the Astros, but it's a big jump in class for Seattle after beating the Royals.

Houston will start budding star in rookie J.P. France while the Mariners counter with a fellow rookie in Bryce Miller. The Astros are the rightful favorites with Kyle Tucker raking at the dish, will it pay off to take the home team in the series opener?

Here are the odds:

Mariners vs. Astros odds, run line and total

Mariners vs. Astros prediction and pick

The Mariners have been taking care of business against sub-.500 teams with the help of Julio Rodriguez, who is hitting .328 this month with 16 runs batted in. However, I believe the team will struggle in Houston against this Astros pitching staff that has France starting and a top three bullpen behind in terms of ERA.

France has been on a tear this season, posting a 2.74 ERA. While he may be due for a setback, his xERA is alarmingly high at 4.23, I don't believe the Mariners are the team to take advantage. Seattle has the ninth lowest batting average in the big leagues this season.

Further, Miller will likely pitch to his 4.04 ERA after back-to-back strong starts, allowing only two earned runs over 10.1 innings. The Astros are top 10 in OPS over the last 30 days, per MLB.com, led by Kyle Tucker, who is hitting .322 since the All-Star break with 11 home runs and 36 RBI's over 31 games.

I'll take Houston to start the series with a win on Friday night.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.