It can be more than a little frustrating to play in a division where the team at the top pulls away and opens up a gap that cannot be caught. There are a couple of divisions that are starting to shape up that way, with the leaders in this divisions quickly emerging as the World Series favorites as we head into the late stages of the regular season. IN the past, the season would have been over for the teams in the chasing pack, but the arrival of the Wild Card a few years back made the races in each of the leagues that much more exciting.
The National League Wild Card race is about as exciting as it gets at the moment, with no less than 6 teams separated by 4 games, all of them vying for just 2 spots. The San Francisco Giants are out of the race for the NL West crown, but they are in the hunt for the WC. They will hit the road this weekend to face the Colorado Rockies in a very important series. The Rockies are favored by 1 ½, with the run total set at a lofty 13 ½.
Giants vs Rockies MLB Week 18 Lines & Game Preview
- When: Friday, August 2 at 8:40 PM EST
- Where: Coors Field, Denver
- Starting Pitchers: Anderson vs. Lambert
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: SiriusXM
- MLB Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Colorado Rockies -135 (Total 14)
Mariners vs Astros MLB Odds, Game Info & Prediction
Why bet on the San Francisco Giants?
The San Francisco Giants have made a very nice recovery after getting off to a start that saw them spend a lot of time at the bottom of the NL West. They are now all the way up to second, but at 16 games off the pace being set by the LA Dodgers, it is the Wild Card that is their only way into the postseason at this point. They are certainly very much in that race, sitting 2 ½ games out of the final spot.
The Giants are coming off a loss in their last series, dropping 2 of 3 to the Phillies, but they are still 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Giants have been better on the road than they have been at home, posting a 30-26 record. They have also been good against the Rockies, going 9-4 in the regular-season series. The Giants will have Shaun Anderson (3-3, 5.06 ERA) starting this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 4.35
- Hits: 8.09
- Walks: 3.06
- Strike Outs: 8.79
Defense
- Runs: 5.34
- Hits: 9.29
- Walks: 2.96
- Strike Outs: 9.42
Why bet on the Colorado Rockies?
The Rockies started slow, before going on a run that made it appear as though they might be set to make a playoff run. That positive period is now well in the past, as Colorado is now slipping further and further out of the playoff race, currently sitting 7 ½ games off the pace in the NL Wild Card race.
The Rockies are now down in the basement of the NL West with a 50-59 record, but they do have a winning record in their own ballpark, going 27-26. That aside, they have also been a very decent bet as a home favorite, going 21-14 SU, although just 12-23 ATS in those games. Colorado will hand the ball to Peter Lambert (2-2, 5.67 ERA) on Friday night.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.34
- Hits: 9.29
- Walks: 2.96
- Strike Outs: 9.42
Defense
- Runs: 5.73
- Hits: 9.70
- Walks: 3.43
- Strike Outs: 8.05
Red Sox vs Yankees MLB Lines & Pick for Friday Night
Giants vs Rockies MLB Week 18 Betting Trends
- Giants are 12-4 SU in their last 16 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco’s last 7 games against an opponent in the National League
- Rockies are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado’s last 6 games this season
- Rockies are 45-37 against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
- Giants are 55-54 against the money line in all games this season
- Anderson is 0-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 10.39 and a WHIP of 2.309
- Lambert is 0-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.000
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Giants vs Rockies
The Rockies will be glad to have seen the calendar flip over to August, as they were a brutal 6-19 in July. That’s a tough skid to break out of, which is why I like the Giants to get the win on Friday night.
Score: San Francisco Giants 6 – Colorado Rockies 5
