MLB Picks and Predictions for Monday, April 20: Making Moves on the Mariners
Written by: Danny Burke
Published: Mon Apr 20, 2026, 12:20 pm ET
Read Time: 4 minutes
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What's going on, everyone? Hope your week's off to a good start. I'm back in the mix after a quick trip out of town, and we're coming off a 2-0 sweep with our last picks, so let's try to keep it rolling with a couple more today.
Let's dive into my MLB picks and predictions for Monday, April 20.
MLB Picks and Predictions for Monday, April 20
Houston Astros vs Cleveland Guardians
Following a three-game sweep at home against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Houston Astros will look for a fresh start in Cleveland against the Guardians on Monday evening.
The Astros have now dropped four in a row, while the Guardians are coming off a strong series against the Orioles, taking three of four.
Tonight's pitching matchup features right-hander Spencer Arrighetti and fellow righty Slade Cecconi.
Arrighetti made his first start of the season last week in a 3-1 win over the Rockies. We backed him in that spot, but I'm not quite as confident in this matchup.
Since the start of April, Cleveland ranks ninth in both wRC+ (111) and ISO (.163), while sitting 13th in OPS (.728).
Arrighetti's debut was impressive, one earned run on three hits with 10 strikeouts, but it's fair to question the level of competition. The Rockies are starting to look like the team we expected, and this is a much tougher test against a capable Guardians lineup.
On the other side, Houston's offense has been even better against right-handers over that same span, ranking fourth in both wRC+ (124) and OPS (.780), along with sixth in ISO (.166).
Cecconi's numbers are concerning. He owns a 5.03 ERA and 5.26 FIP, with a barrel rate north of 10%.
There's a chance he improves as the season goes on, but this doesn't feel like the spot where it starts against a dangerous Astros lineup.
It'll be a colder night in Cleveland, with temperatures in the low 40s, but a total of 7.5 still feels a bit light.
We've got two solid lineups facing a pair of vulnerable arms. If this number were 8 or higher, I'd probably stay away, but at 7.5 at plus money, it's too tough to pass up – I'm backing the over.
Pick: Over 7.5 Runs (+105)
Athletics vs Mariners
The final game of the night gets underway at 9:40 PM ET, as Emerson Hancock and the Seattle Mariners take on J.T. Ginn and the Athletics.
After dropping the opener in their last series, the Mariners bounced back with two straight wins over the Rangers and will look to carry that momentum into this matchup against an A's team that just dropped two of three to the White Sox.
Hancock looks like the right arm for the job. He's 2-1 through four starts with a 2.28 ERA, 2.75 FIP, a ground ball rate north of 43%, and a BABIP below .230. He's been excellent, and there aren't many signs of regression just yet.
On the other side, Ginn's numbers are far less convincing. While he owns a 3.31 ERA, his 4.66 FIP and 4.68 SIERA suggest trouble could be on the horizon.
Seattle's offense has also picked things up recently. Over the past 10 days against right-handers, the Mariners rank third in wRC+ (142) and eighth in OPS (.802).
The Athletics haven't been far behind offensively, but the gap between these starting pitchers makes Seattle the more appealing side in this spot.
Pick: Mariners Moneyline (-138)
MLB Picks:
MLB Record: 30-19-1 (+10.52 units)
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Danny Burke is a betting analyst with a decade of sports media experience. He got his start at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sharing picks on the local ESPN affiliate. After college, he hosted shows for VSiN in Las Vegas before returning to Chicago to launch 'Rush Hour', the first daily sports betting show from an Illinois casino. He also co-hosted 'Props and Locks' on Fox32’s Bears pregame show and ran 'Bet On, Chicago' on WLS-AM 890.
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