Arizona Takes on Colorado as MLB Betting Favorites on Friday Night

The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks both finished well under .500 last year yet they are Nos. 1-2 atop the NL West this season as they begin a three-game series in the desert on Friday night. The Diamondbacks will be MLB betting favorites in a matchup of southpaws.

Colorado at Arizona MLB Betting Preview & Prediction

Teamwork pic.twitter.com/eOr5lWzxNL

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 27, 2017

When: Friday, April 28, 9:40 PM ET Where: Chase Field, Phoenix Probable pitchers (away/home): Kyle Freeland/Robbie Ray TV: MLB Extra Innings Opening MLB Lines: Diamondbacks favored by TBA

Why Bet On Colorado?

The Rockies shuffled up their bullpen a bit this week. LHP Mike Dunn was placed on the 10-day disabled list with back spasms. The move was made retroactive to Sunday. Dunn has registered an impressive 1.17 ERA with six holds in the early going. To replace him, the team RHP Chad Qualls from the 10-day disabled list. Qualls is back after sitting out the first few weeks with inflammation in his right forearm. The 38-year- old pitched well during a minor league rehab assignment, logging a 1.80 ERA over six outings for Triple-A Albuquerque. He’ll work in middle relief for the Rockies. The Rockies are 7-0 in one-run wins so far this season; they went 12-20 in one-run games in 2016. The Houston Astros (3-0) are the only other team that has not yet recorded a one-run loss. The last team in MLB to start 7-0 in one-run games was the 2006 Houston Astros. The Rockies are 11-0 this season when leading a game after four innings. Only two other teams in MLB have yet to lose a game when leading after four (Kansas City: 4-0, Chicago-AL: 8-0). Carlos Gonzalez has 199 career home runs with Colorado, and would be the fifth player to hit 200 or more home runs with the Rockies (also: Dante Bichette, 201; Vinny Castilla, 239; Todd Helton, 369; Larry Walker, 258). Colorado goes with impressive young lefty Kyle Freeland (2-1, 3.32) here. Last time out, Freeland kept the ball down while pitching seven sharp innings, Gerardo Parra hit a two-run homer and the Rockies beat San Francisco 8-0 last Sunday for their first three-game sweep of the Giants at Coors Field since 2002. Freeland mixed a wicked sinker with a two-seam fastball to get 12 groundouts and three strikeouts. The Denver native allowed six hits and shattered three bats. “Moving forward, that should be a big part of Kyle’s game — the ground ball,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “He did a great job.”

Why Bet On Arizona?

The Diamondbacks recalled RHP Zack Godley from Triple-A Reno. To make room for Godley, the D-backs optioned RHP Silvino Bracho to Reno. Godley, who turned 27 on April 21, was 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA (5 ER in 17.2 IP) in 3 games (1 starts) with Reno this season. He was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week on Monday after tossing 7.0 scoreless innings on April 19. Godley has gone 5-3 in 9 starts at Chase Field and 8-4 as a starter overall. In 2 seasons with the D-backs (2015-16), he is 10-5 with a 5.34 ERA (66ER in 111.1 IP) in 36 games (15 starts). A big reason for the team’s strong start is Jake Lamb. He has followed up what was a strong start to the 2016 campaign with a rebound from last year’s second half. Lamb has a slash that features a .299 average and .368 on-base percentage, as well as an OPS of .900. Those former two figures certainly have the potential to come down given that he’s averaging .396 on balls that he puts into play. However, Lamb remains above league average on the power side, with his .234 ISO currently ranking eighth among a group of 27 qualifying third basemen. His OP comes in ninth with that .900 figure among that same group. He’s also continuing to hit the ball hard just as he did last year. After finishing with a Hard% of about 39% last year, including a touch over 41% in the season’s first half, Lamb comes in at 40.4%. It’s lefty Robbie Ray on the mound. Ray moved to 2-0 on the season during last Saturday’s 11-5 victory over the Dodgers, surrendering five runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out six over 5.1 innings. The five earned runs were the most Ray has conceded in any of his four starts this season, but with the Diamondbacks offense providing some ample run support, the lefty had plenty of room for error. Ray has compiled a 3.42 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 23.2 innings this season, but will likely need to reinin the walks (14) in order to make that ERA sustainable over the course of a full season.

Colorado at Arizona MLB Betting Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks

Ray was 1-1 with an 8.50 ERA last year vs. the Rockies, but he’s much better in 2017.