A daytime rubber match is in store on Thursday as the St. Louis Cardinals battle it out with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Join us for our MLB odds series, where our Cardinals-Rockies prediction and pick will be revealed.
The Cardinals enter the series finale fresh off a decisive 9-5 victory on Wednesday. Tasked with getting St. Louis the series win on the mound will be the righty in Dakota Hudson, who has undergone a 6-6 record while maintaining a 4.20 ERA thus far this season.
In game one of this series against the division-leading Cardinals, the Rockies spanked out an absurd 22 hits while mustering up 16 runs on the scoreboard. However, in game two, the Rockies bats were silenced for only five runs on 13 hits. Regardless, starter German Marquez will need to put his best foot forward to give the Rockies a shot at taking this series. On the year, Marquez is 6-9 with an underwhelming 5.18 ERA in 21 total starts.
Here are the Cardinals-Rockies MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Rockies Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (+118)
Colorado Rockies: +1.5 (-142)
Over: 12 (-110)
Under: 12 (-112)
Why The Cardinals Could Cover The Spread
As the Cardinals learned yesterday, getting busy with the bats early and often is more than likely a recipe for success. On Wednesday, St. Louis put up five runs at the plate during the opening frame of the contest as they buried the Rockies from the jump. Of course, it was none other than the former Rockie in Nolan Arenado that got the party started with a double off of the bat to deep left that scored the game's first run. By the end of the day, Arenado punished Colorado by finishing only a triple away from completing the cycle. Additionally, even first-baseman Albert Pujols got in on the fun with a four-hit performance that included a towering solo shot in the sixth inning.
In fact, this is a group that has wreaked havoc on most of the league throughout the course of the 2022 regular season. Ranking seventh in total runs scored this season, St. Louis has done a phenomenal job in stringing together productive at-bats that break the will of opposing pitchers. This offense has an extreme balance at the dish and possesses multiple superstars that are capable of inflicting irreversible damage.
Pitching-wise, St. Louis can certainly hold their own. While the numbers aren't as eye-popping as what the offense has offered thus far, don't sleep on these arms. Not to mention, but the expected starter in Dakota Hudson held his own in his recent start against the Yankees when he limited one of the best offenses in baseball to only three runs in a 4-3 triumphant win. Hudson has the confidence and arsenal to leave the Rockies dazed and confused.
Why The Rockies Could Cover The Spread
Colorado looked like an entirely different team than what most people had seen from them up to this point when they made life a living hell for Red Birds pitching on Tuesday. Even though the Rox went down in defeat yesterday, 13 total hits is usually productive enough to garner a victory. However, Colorado's pitching has continued to prove how disastrous they can truly be. Going down 5-0 in the first inning for any team is a tough hole to climb out of, and even the hot bats could not swoop in and save the day on Wednesday.
Regardless, all the Rockies need is an average outing from German Marquez and the continued success of this hitting lineup to cover today's spread and maybe even win the series altogether. It has been well noted that Marquez has experienced a down year after ending the 2021 season with a solid 3.83 ERA. Clearly, the Rockies ace heading into this year, Marquez hasn't been able to get in a groove and has uncharacteristically hit-through-nine jumps from 8.3 to a lofty 9.5 mark.
Yes, Marquez is still more than capable of putting together a dominant appearance, but the offense will need to continue to do their thing to alleviate the pressure he will feel if the bats go cold. Scoring runs have been the name of the game for the Rockies up to this point with the top batting average in all of the major leagues. While this one may raise some eyebrows considering that Colorado sits at a below-average 49-64 record with no playoff berth in sight, the Rockies surprisingly have one of the top lineups that baseball has to offer.
Final Cardinals-Rockies Prediction & Pick
This matchup on paper leans heavily in favor of the ‘Cards, as it will take a monumental effort from Rockies hitters to keep Colorado alive in this one. Expected starter German Marquez is just far too inconsistent to put your well-earned dollars on. Take St. Louis and the -1.5 spread if you're willing to make a wise investment.
Final Cardinals-Rockies Prediction & Pick: Cardinals -1.5 (+118)
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