The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Colorado Rockies. Check out our MLB odds series for our Cardinals Rockies prediction and pick.
Jose Quintana goes to the hill for the Cardinals, while Kyle Freeland gets the ball for the Rockies.
Jose Quintana has a 3.39 ERA. In his last three starts, he has been terrific, throwing 18 2/3 innings and allowing only one run on just nine hits. That's as good as it gets. This obviously means Quintana and the Cardinals are heavy favorites in Colorado, right? Not necessarily.
Before Quintana dominated in each of his last three starts, he faltered on July 15, just before the All-Star break, at Coors Field. The Rockies got to him for six runs in five innings. Colorado posted seven base hits in addition to two walks. Quintana has been pitching really well for the past month and a half, but Coors Field was his stumbling block. So, we'll see if he can bounce back in his return to Denver nearly four weeks later.
Kyle Freeland has a 4.56 ERA. His pitching profile stands out because of what he has done in his last six starts, three before the All-Star break and three after it. In his three starts immediately before the All-Star break, Freeland pitched 16 innings and allowed 15 runs. He was terrible. In his first three starts after the break, Freeland has pitched 18 2/3 innings and allowed only five runs, including only one homer. He has beaten the Padres, Dodgers and Brewers. He dominated the Brew Crew with seven shutout innings in Milwaukee.
So, are we going to get the version of Kyle Freeland which is currently shutting down good National League teams, or will he regress and revert to the pitcher who stumbled just before the All-Star break?
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Cardinals-Rockies MLB odds.
MLB Odds: Cardinals-Rockies Odds
St. Louis Cardinals: -1.5 (-110)
Colorado Rockies: +1.5 (-110)
Over: 12.5 (-104)
Under: 12.5 (-118)
Why The Cardinals Could Cover the Spread
Jose Quintana is on a roll. After getting traded from the Pirates to the Cardinals, Quintana shut down the Chicago Cubs in a victory last week. He had no problems adjusting to his new situation in St. Louis. The fact that he struggle at Coors Field on July 15 gives him a chance to bounce back here. One should expect a much better start from him, in which case the Cardinals are very likely to win. If Quintana gives up just two or three runs, the Cardinals should be able to score four or five against Freeland and win.
Why The Rockies Could Cover the Spread
After struggling for much of the season, Kyle Freeland has found a rhythm in recent weeks. He has been noticeably better after the All-Star break. If he continues to pitch at this level, he will continue to beat quality teams. Taking down the Padres, Dodgers, and Brewers since the All-Star break is no small feat. The Rockies are not a good team, but they have won series at Coors Field this year against the Padres and Dodgers. They have the ability to make life miserable for visiting teams in Denver. They showed the Cardinals proof of that fact on Tuesday night. Jose Quintana couldn't solve the Rockies on July 15. He might not solve them in this game, either.
Final Cardinals-Rockies Prediction & Pick
Kyle Freeland is a very mysterious pitcher, the kind of pitcher you know can get into a groove, but who could lose his rhythm just as easily. Stay away from this game, but if you absolutely insist on making a pick, go with the under.
Final Cardinals-Rockies Prediction & Pick: Under 12.5
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