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The Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves will face off in the final game of their three-game series in Atlanta Thursday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our MLB odds series, which includes a Rockies-Braves prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Colorado is in the midst of another lost season, going 56-75 and once again occupying the basement of the NL West. Injuries have been partially to blame, but overall, this roster is simply flawed. Still, there are some exciting young players getting extended chances, which should entice the fanbase.
Atlanta is in the heat of a battle with the New York Mets for the NL East crown. Atlanta is in second place, just three games behind, with an 80-51 record. Atlanta owns a commanding lead in the NL Wild Card, but the race for the NL East should make for an entertaining final month.
Here are the Rockies-Braves MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rockies-Braves Odds
Colorado Rockies: +1.5 (+146)
Atlanta Braves: -1.5 (-178)
Over: 8 (-110)
Under: 8 (-110)
Why The Rockies Could Cover The Spread
Colorado potentially has a very strong lineup. Should Charlie Blackmon, Kris Bryant, Brendan Rodgers, CJ Cron, and Ryan McMahon all click at the same time, watch out. Sadly, that has not happened nearly enough between injuries and normal ups and downs of a 162-game season. Still, Cron leads the team with 24 home runs and 86 RBI, a consistent force in the middle of the lineup. Charlie Blackmon has launched 16 home runs and 19 doubles while hitting a respectable .270. Brendan Rodgers is second on the team with 28 doubles, adding 11 home runs and 60 RBI while hitting .276. Randal Grichuk is hitting .277 with 13 home runs and 20 doubles in his first season with the team. Shortstop Jose Iglesias, who was a strong candidate to be traded, is leading the team with 30 doubles and a .304 batting average, in addition to his normal stellar defense. Colorado is tied for the league lead with a .261 batting average and is tied for sixth with 231 doubles.
Colorado will send Chad Kuhl to the mound in this one, going 6-7 with a 5.17 ERA in his 21 starts, surrendering 18 home runs. Kuhl has struggled mightily in his inaugural season with Colorado. Kuhl's slider is a positive spot though, as batters have hit just .193 against the offering, and have hit just .204 against his curveball. There is not much of a need to take up space writing about Colorado's bullpen, which has the third-worst ERA in the league. Still, closer Daniel Bard has enjoyed another great season, this one coming after his contract extension shortly before the trade deadline. Bard has pitched to a 2.28 ERA with 28 saves in 47 appearances, striking out 54 in 47.1 innings. Carlos Estevez is another bright spot, with a. 3.59 ERA in his 53 appearances.
Why The Braves Could Cover The Spread
Spencer Strider, with his mustache and monster quads, has taken the baseball world by storm in his rookie season. Strider has appeared in 27 games, making 16 starts, with a 2.87 ERA in his 106.2 innings. Strider is consistently in the upper 90s with his fastball, routinely touching 100 and above. Strider has struck out 36.7% of the batters he has faced, ranking in the 99th percentile of the league. Batters have hit just .206 against Strider's fastball, .149 against his slider, and a measly .095 against his changeup. Simply put, Strider has knocked the bat out of the opponent's hands all season. Atlanta's bullpen has been solid all season, ranking sixth with a 3.26 ERA, striking out 501 batters in 447 innings. AJ Minter owns a 2.28 ERA with 74 strikeouts in 55.1 innings, walking just 10 batters and allowing just four home runs. Collin McHugh, possessing one of the best curveballs in the league, has pitched to a 2.73 ERA in his 45 appearances. Closer Kenley Jansen has been up and down, with a. 3.70 ERA, 30 saves and striking out 65 batters in 48.2 innings.
Atlanta's offense received a bit of a facelift this offseason, trading for first baseman Matt Olson. Olson leads the team with 41 doubles, hitting 27 home runs, and leading the team with 87 RBI. Olson's offense combined with his defense makes him one of the best first basemen in the league. Third baseman Austin Riley, recently inked to a 10-year extension, leads the team with 32 home runs, hitting 36 doubles, and two triples with a .288 batting average. Ronald Acuna leads the team with 25 stolen bases, adding 11 home runs and 17 doubles in 92 games. Rookie center fielder Michael Harris, another recent extension signee, has stolen 16 bases, adding 22 doubles and 13 home runs in his 84 games. Dansby Swanson has set himself up for a big offseason, with a .287 batting average, 17 home runs, and 16 stolen bases.
Final Rockies-Braves Prediction & Pick
This one should be pretty easy.
Final Rockies-Braves Prediction & Pick: Atlanta -1.5 (-178), over 8 (-110)
