The Colorado Rockies (19-25) visit the Texas Rangers (26-17) for the first of a three-game series. First pitch commences Friday at 8:05 p.m. ET. Below we continue our MLB odds series with a Rockies-Rangers prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Here are the Rockies-Rangers MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Rockies-Rangers Odds
Colorado Rockies: +1.5 (+100)
Texas Rangers: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 9.5 (-102)
Under: 9.5 (-120)
How To Watch Rockies vs. Rangers
TV: MLB Network, Bally Sports, ATTSN Rocky Mountain
Stream: MLB.tv
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET/ 5:05 p.m. PT
*See how to watch Rockies-Rangers LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Rockies Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 6-4 (Fifth in the NL West)
Run Line Record: 21-23 (48%)
Over Record: 18-26 (41%)
Colorado has struggled mightily out of the gates as they sit at the bottom of the NL West. That said, they've turned things around this month. After going 7-20 in April, the Rockies won 10 of their first 15 May games. With four series wins in their last five tries, Colorado looks the part of a tasty underdog tonight – provided their offense gives rookie Karl Kauffmann enough run support.
The Rockies selected righty Karl Kauffmann's contract from Triple-A as he will make his major league debut. Kauffmann struggled in Triple-A this season – holding an ugly 7.78 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in 37 innings pitched. His reward for getting called up? A debut against the Rangers – an offense that leads the league in runs per game. Kauffman possesses decent strikeout material – amassing 12 strikeouts over his last 8.2 innings. While the Rangers can be prone to Ks (20th in strikeout rate), it's difficult to trust him given the talent in Texas' lineup. The best-case scenario for Kauffmann is that he gives Colorado a few innings and limits the damage as much as possible – paving the way for their bullpen to close the deal.
While their numbers can sometimes be inflated thanks to Coors' Field, the Rockies continue to boast a solid lineup on the offensive end. For the season, Colorado ranks 14th in runs. Despite holding the 12th-best team batting average, Colorado seemingly has room to improve thanks to their fifth-ranked BABIP. Rookie outfielder Brenton Doyle holds the hot bat in recent games with a .333 average and 18 total bases over their last five games.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
Last 10: 6-4 (First in the AL West)
Run Line Record: 27-16 (63%)
Over Record: 26-15-2 (63%)
The Rangers have been arguably the best story in baseball thus far as they sit atop the AL West. Although the defending champion Houston Astros are hot on their tail, Texas looks the part of a serious playoff contender. The Rangers are led by their potent offense. They lead the league in runs per game while ranking in the top five in OPS and BABIP. Texas performs even better at home where they hold a .274 team average and .821 team OPS. While their pitching comes and goes, their offense should feast tonight against a Rockies' starter making his MLB debut.
Southpaw Martin Perez (4-1) makes his ninth start of the season for Texas tonight. The 32-year-old appeared to turn a corner last season – recording a 12-8 record to go along with a career-best 2.89 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. While his ratios are up this season, he's pitched well enough to maintain a strong win-loss record. That said, he is coming off his two worst starts of the season and may be trending in the wrong direction. After posting a 2.41 ERA in six April starts, he's gotten shelled in May. He gave up seven runs in 3.2 innings against the Angels before the Athletics pegged him for four runs in 5.0 innings.
While his recent downward trend won't ease the minds of Rangers' backers, the Rockies present a strong opportunity to bounce back. While they average the 14th-most runs per game, much of that can be attributed to their favorable home field. Additionally, Perez holds elite home numbers this season – allowing just two runs in 11.2 innings.
Texas features strong bats up and down their lineup thanks to averaging the most runs and third-most hits per game. The return of Corey Seager should only give them more juice going forward, but it's been outfielder Adolis Garcia who's stolen the show in his absence. The league leader in RBIs has been on a tear over the last week – batting .350 while racking up four homers and 10 RBI.
Final Rockies-Rangers Prediction & Pick
Despite Colorado's upward trend in recent weeks, I can't get myself to trust them tonight. While their offense has picked things up, the Rangers have more than enough to hang with them. That holds especially true against a struggling minor leaguer making his MLB debut.
Final Rockies-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Texas Rangers -1.5 (-120)
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