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The Colorado Rockies took game one of the series over the Washington Nationals. It is now time to continue our MLB odds series with a Rockies-Nationals prediction, pick, and how-to watch.
After a scoreless first three innings, the Rockies got to Patrick Corbin in the fourth inning. A Randall Grichuk single scored one and a throwing error scored a second run. Nolan Jones added a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Rockies a 4-0 lead. Harold Castro added a run on a single in the seventh that ended Corbin's night. Castro would score on a throwing error to make it 6-0 in the seventh. The Nationals Would try to make a comeback in the eighth, scoring three runs on a Jeimer Candelario home run, but it would not be enough, as the Rockies took a 10-6 win.
In the loss, Candelario has a throwing error but also played well at the plate. He is a target for many teams at the trade deadline. The Rockies are already moving people before the deadline, sending Pierce Johnson to the Braves in a deal.
Here are the Rockies-Nationals MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rockies-Nationals Odds
Colorado Rockies: +1.5 (-176)
Washington Nationals: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 9 (-122)
Under: 9 (+100)
How To Watch Rockies vs. Nationals
TV: ATTR/MASN
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 7:05 PM ET/ 4:05 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rockies Could Cover The Spread
The Rockies' offense had one of their best nights last night. It was the first time since May 28th that they scored double-digit runs in a game. They are now tied for 20th on the season in runs scored, 14th in batting average, 23rd in on-base percentage, and 18th in slugging. It was Nolan Jones last night that had a great night last night, with two hits, home runs, and two RBIs. That gives him five RBIs and two home runs in his last three games. He has not been great this month, hitting just .195 on the month with eight RBIS and five runs scored.
Randal Grichuk added three more hits last night and is hitting great this month. He is hitting .375 on the month with seven RBIs and four home runs. He has also been seeing the ball well. Grichuk has just two walks in the month, but he also has struck out just six times. It gives him an OBP of .419 this month, which led to Grichuk scoring ten times this month.
CJ Cron has been hitting well this month, hitting .319 on the month with ten RBIs. He also has five home runs with nine runs scored this month. Cron has been one of the best bats in this offense but he is dealing with a stiff back. He is a major target for some contending teams, but he is expected to be back in the lineup soon. The Rockies may be taking their time with him to make sure he is fully healthy at the trade deadline. In the meantime, Ryan McMahon will have to continue leading the team, as he does currently in RBIs and home runs. He has not been hitting well this month though, hitting just .172 on the month, with five RBIs and three home runs.
Austin Gomber will be on the mound today for the Rockies. He is 8-8 on the season with a 6.18 ERA. Gomber has been better this month. In each of his three starts, he has gone six innings while giving up a combined eight runs. That gives him a 4.00 ERA for the month. The issue has been home runs. He has given up a home run in each game this month.
Why The Nationals Could Cover The Spread
The Nationals' offense has been solid as of late. After two straight games in which they had over ten hits, they had seven last night. It was just not enough to overcome two costly errors and some poor bullpen work. This year, they are fifth in team batting average. They just do not score enough, sitting 22nd in runs scored, while also 16th in on-base percentage and 19th in slugging. Lane Thomas has been amazing as of late. Not only is he 12th in the majors with a .295 batting average, he stole four bases in the game Sunday. On the month, he has five stolen bases, with a .259 batting average. He has two home runs and 11 RBIs this month, while also hitting five doubles and scoring 11 times. Thomas left the game yesterday though, and is now considered day-to-day.
Jeimer Candelario started breaking out of his slump yesterday. He hit a home run and drove in three On the month, he is hitting just .228, but he does have six home runs and 12 RBIs on the month. Candelario also has scored 13 runs this month while having a .323 OBP. Meanwhile, Keibert Ruiz is also having a good month. He is hitting .321 on the month, with eight RBIs and two home runs. The two home runs and seven of RBIs have come in his last seven games. He has also scored seven times this month, with six coming in the last seven games.
The Nationals will be hoping to get a quality pitching performance today. They are 27th in the majors in team ERA while sitting 28th in WHIP and 29th in opponent batting average. Trevor Williams will be making the start today for the Nationals. He is 5-5 with a 4.38 ERA. This month he has been fairly average. He has given up ten runs in just 18.2 innings of work. That gives him an ERA of 4.82 on the month, with four home runs this month.
Final Rockies-Nationals Prediction & Pick
While Gomber has been better as of late, he is in the bottom ten percent in almost every advanced metric this year. Meanwhile, Williams is not much better. These are also two of the worst bullpens in the majors as well. The teams can put up some runs at a time. While the Rockies will not be scoring ten runs again, they should still score a fair amount. The best play in this one is to play the total. Hit the over in this one.
Final Rockies-Nationals Prediction & Pick: Over 9 (-122)