When trying to decide which teams will be competitive in any given year, we all usually look at the pitching staff and what type of hitters the players might have in the line-up. Speed and power are also taken into account, but one thing that is tough to measure is grit. There are teams that may not have the best looking line-up, but who find a way to succeed due to grim determination. The Atlanta Braves are one of those teams this MLB betting season, and they will have a chance to once again put that to the test when they travel to Colorado to face the Rockies for a 4-game series starting on Thursday.
Closer Look at the Atlanta Braves at Colorado Rockies MLB Spread Analysis & Game Info
Time: Thursday, 8:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Coors Field, Denver
National TV: none
Opening MLB Betting Lines: Brave -107, Rockies -103 (10.5)
This was expected to be a long, mostly forgettable, season for the Braves (42-42), but here we are at the halfway stage of the season and they are just 4 games back of the Nationals in the NL East. This is a team made up of guys up from AAA ball, and veteran players who are more than likely making their last stop on the big league merry go round. In spite of all of that, the Braves have found a way to stay in it, even when it looked as though they were down and out just a week or so ago. As June drew to a close, Atlanta found themselves 5 games under .500, but quickly turned things around with series wins over the Nats and Phillies. That have also taken the first two games of the series versus the Brewers, and have a real shot at ending the first half on a high note. Alex Wood (6-5, 3.34 ERA) will be looking for his third straight win when he gets the start on Thursday.
There is very little to cheer about in Colorado (35-48) as the Rockies limp to the end of the first half of the season sporting the second worst record in baseball. The Rockies are a pretty woeful 2-8 in their last 10 games, and have been bleeding runs at a truly ridiculous rate. They are one of only three teams to have given up 400 or more runs to this point in the season, and are just 1 run away from being the worst team defensively. While they are sure to be happy that the Braves will not be binding injured slugger Freddie Freeman to town, they still have to find a way to stop the 9 guys who will be heading to the plate. That is something they haven’t been able to figure out all year. Kyle Kendrick (3-10, 6.00 ERA) will start for the Rockies on Thursday, and will be looking to stop the bleeding.
Key MLB Betting Trends
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Colorado’s last 21 games
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado’s last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta’s last 7 games
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta’s last 8 games on the road
My Betting Prediction
Alex Wood seems to have finally hit his pitching stride, and that could be bad news for the Rockies. This should be a comfortable win for the surging Braves.
