Dodgers vs. Rockies Pick
There is a chance the host Colorado Rockies will have the second NL Wild Card spot clinched before they even step on the field Saturday night at 8:15PM EST versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Oddsmakers at sports book Bovada.lv have listed the Dodgers as a -185 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Rockies are a +160 underdog and the over-under is 9.5.
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Los Angeles will turn to ace Clayton Kershaw (18-4, 2.21 ERA) for his final regular season tune-up, while Colorado is going with rookie German Marquez (11-7, 4.38). Kershaw holds a 0.93 WHIP with 200 strikeouts over 173 innings of work. He surrendered one earned run on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks over eight innings in a 3-1 home win over the Giants his last start. Kershaw has a sparkling 1.79 ERA in 80 1/3 innings on the road this year. Marquez sports a 1.38 WHIP with 145 strikeouts in 156 innings. He gave up two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks over five innings in an 8-4 win at the Padres his last outing. Marquez has a home ERA of 4.60 in 74 1/3 innings.
The Dodgers are 102-58 overall and 45-34 on the road, while the Rockies come in at 87-73 and 46-33 at home. Colorado has won six of the last 10 meetings including the last five, while the total has gone over six times.
On Friday night, the Rockies rolled to a 9-1 victory for their third win in a row. Charlie Blackmon went 2-for-5 with his 37th home run and three RBIs. Nolan Arenado was 3-for-5 with his 37th home run and two runs scored. Trevor Story was 3-for-4 with his 24th home run, a walk, two runs and two RBIs. Mark Reynolds was 1-for-4 with his 30th home run, a walk and two RBIs. Chad Bettis gave up one earned run over seven innings for the win. Justin Turner was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Dodgers. Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed five earned runs in two innings for the loss.
If Milwaukee loses Saturday afternoon, Colorado will clinch the second NL Wild Card spot. If the Brewers win, the Rockies can clinch with a victory Saturday night.
Colorado draws the worst possible matchup here facing Kershaw, arguably the best pitcher on the planet. The hope for the Rockies is that the Brewers win and thus negate the importance of this game. If Milwaukee does win, look for these odds to jump even further in the Dodgers’ favor. Marquez has slowed down some in the second half of the season, quite possibly due to fatigue. Los Angeles only has two more games to get into playoff mode and it’s going to want to play well in this one. We’re liking the road team, regardless of Colorado’s need for a win or not.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES DODGERS -180