The Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels will wrap up their three-game series on Wednesday night. It's time to continue our MLB odds series and make a Rockies-Angels prediction and pick.
The Angels managed to take the first game of this series by four runs, but the Rockies clearly weren't fazed. Colorado came into Game 2 with a vengeance, destroying Los Angeles by nine runs in a game where the Angels never led. The rubber match should be an interesting one, with the Angels desperately trying to cling to any playoff hopes while the Rockies play for pride.
Here's how the bookmakers have set the lines for Wednesday night's game.
MLB Odds: Rockies-Angels Odds
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Colorado Rockies +1 1/2 (-112)
Los Angeles Angels -1 1/2 (-108)
Over 9 1/2 runs (+100)
Under 9 1/2 runs (-20)
Why The Rockies Could Cover The Spread
The Rockies aren't a great offense, but that can be overlooked when they face a bad pitcher. Luckily for Colorado, the Angels are entrusting lefty Andrew Heaney with the start in this series finale.
Heaney has struggled for this entire season, posting a 5.32 and a 1.32 WHIP. Neither of those numbers are particularly good, but they get even worse in Heaney's last seven starts. His ERA rises to 6.08 in that span, with his WHIP following closely behind at 1.43. The lefty also allows a 9.6% barrel percentage, a high number for any pitcher. Even the Rockies should be able to hit the ball hard and score some runs on Heaney.
It helps that Colorado hits left-handed pitching pretty well. The Rockies' team batting average is only .236 against right-handed pitching, but that rises to .263 against lefties. Colorado's OBP, slugging percentage, and OPS all follow suit and shoot up.
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
The Angels have one of the most underrated offenses in baseball. Los Angeles ranks inside the top 10 in the league in batting average, OPS, and slugging percentage. They've also hit the sixth-most home runs in the league. The Angels' lineup is full of tough outs for any pitcher, but Colorado starter Chi Chi Gonzalez will have a tougher time than most.
Gonzalez has had a terrible year, posting a 6.06 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP over the course of the season. To put things bluntly, Gonzalez just isn't a very good pitcher. He consistently walks multiple batters in his appearances, and the lowest batting average any team has posted against him is .257. Gonzalez allows a 9.4% barrel percentage and a 44.2% hard hit percentage, two terrible numbers. The Angels, a great power hitting team, should be able to absolutely tee off on Gonzalez in the early innings of the game.
It may seem as though Andrew Heaney doesn't have much going for him, but there are some stats that help him out. The Rockies' offense is one of the worst in baseball when playing on the road. Colorado's batting average goes from .276 at Coors Field all the way down to .209 when playing anywhere else. Heaney may give up a couple of runs, but he should be able to limit the damage.
Final Rockies-Angels Prediction & Pick
This is a pretty easy pick. Colorado is sending a terrible pitcher to the mound, and their offense has struggled for the entire year. Picking them to cover the spread is just too risky, especially when they're playing such a prolific offensive team in the Angels.
FINAL PICK: Los Angeles Angels -1 1/2 (-108)
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