As we approach the midway point of the MLB season, it’s interesting to look at the current standings to see how things are shaping up. When you look at each of the divisions, you get the sense that the battle for playoff spots is going to be a little more frantic in the National League than it will be in the American League. Over in the NL, the only team that really seems to be head and shoulders above the rest is the LA Dodgers, which probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. The Dodgers have a 10-game lead at the top of the NL West, but there are a few teams in that division who are still very much in the Wild Card hunt.
Two of those teams are the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who will close out a 3-game series on Thursday afternoon. The Rockies will be going out looking to complete the sweep after winning the first two games. Despite those losses, it is the Diamondbacks who are favored by 1 ½. The run total for this one has been set at 8 ½.
Rockies vs Diamondbacks MLB Spread & Game Preview
- When: Thursday, June 20 at 3:40 PM EST
- Where: Chase Field, Phoenix
- Starting Pitchers: Hoffman vs. Ray
- TV: MLB Extra Innings
- Radio: ESPN 1320
- Live Stream: MLB.tv
- MLB Odds: Arizona Diamondbacks -190 (Total 9)
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Why bet on the Colorado Rockies?
The Colorado Rockies have spent a decent portion of the season recovering from a brutal start to the year. They appear to have things under control now, and while they are still 10 games back of the Dodgers for the lead in the AL West, they are much better off than they were a few short weeks ago.
The Rockies are now 5 games above .500 at 39-34 SU, although their 17-19 road record still leaves a little to be desired. That record has improved during this current visit to Arizona, with the Rockies winning both games in this series thus far. They have outscored the D-Backs 14-5 in those two games, so there is every reason to believe they can get the sweep here. Jeff Hoffman (1-3, 7.04 ERA) will start for Colorado.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.74
- Hits: 9.67
- Walks: 3.01
- Strike Outs: 9.26
Defense
- Runs: 5.45
- Hits: 9.47
- Walks: 3.45
- Strike Outs: 8.27
Why bet on the Arizona Diamondbacks?
The Diamondbacks have now slipped down to 4th in the NL West after losing the first 2 games in this series to the Rockies. That has also dropped them down in the Wild Card standings in the NL, although they are still just 2 games out of the final WC spot right now. The problem, or one of them, for the Diamondbacks this season has been their play at home.
While some teams turn their ballpark into a fortress, Arizona is sitting 4 games below .500 at 14-18 SU in their own building. They have now lost 3 in a row and are just 5-5 SU in their last 10 games. The D-Backs are 16-16 ATS at home, but just 7-10 ATS as a home favorite. They will have Robbie Ray (5-4, 3.83 ERA) on the mound for this one.
Team Stats
Offense- Runs: 5.19
- Hits: 9.15
- Walks: 3.04
- Strike Outs: 8.59
Defense
- Runs: 4.53
- Hits: 8.80
- Walks: 3.07
- Strike Outs: 8.72
Rockies vs Diamondbacks MLB Betting Trends
- Rockies are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games against Arizona
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado’s last 6 games on the road
- Diamondbacks are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games against an opponent in the National League.
- The total has gone Under in 5 of Arizona’s last 6 games at home
- Diamondbacks is 29-16 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in June games over the last 2 seasons
- Rockies is 131-109 against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons
- Hoffman is 1-2 when starting against Arizona with an ERA of 10.79 and a WHIP of 2.174
- Ray is 4-5 when starting against Colorado with an ERA of 5.57 and a WHIP of 1.695
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Rockies vs Diamondbacks
The pitching match-up here suggests that the Diamondbacks might have the slight edge, but I’m not sure I trust them to get the win against the hard-hitting Rockies. To play it a little safer, I am taking the Rockies to cover in a high-scoring game.
Score: Colorado Rockies 6 – Arizona Diamondbacks 5
