San Diego is Rare MLB Betting Favorites Against Rockies on Wednesday

Posted by Michael Hunt on Tuesday,May 2, 2017 11:33, EDT in

So explain to me how the Colorado Rockies are leading the NL West as of this writing despite a run differential of minus-6? They continue a series at division rival San Diego on Wednesday night.  The Rockies are coming off a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondback, finishing it off at 2-1. For the Padres, they also are returning from a weekend series against the San Francisco Giants, which they also won 2-1. The Padres might be rare MLB betting favorites. Let’s take a closer look at the game betting preview for Wednesday night.

Colorado at San Diego MLB Betting Preview & Pick

When: Wednesday, May 3, 10:10 PM ET
Where: Petco Park, San Diego
Probable pitchers (away/home): Antonio Senzatela/Jered Weaver
TV: MLB Network
Stream: MLB.tv
Radio: Colorado / San Diego 
Opening MLB Lines: TBA

Why Bet On Colorado?

The Rockies entered this series off taking two of three in Arizona over the weekend. Normally if you hold an opponent scoreless for 12 innings you win that game. That wasn’t the case Sunday as Colorado lost 2-0 in 13 innings. Daniel Descalso hit the walk-off homer to end the longest scoreless game in Chase Field history. The top five batters in Colorado’s powerful lineup were a combined 1 for 26.

The Rockies activated first baseman Ian Desmond to make his Colorado debut on Sunday. Desmond looked so good during at-bats in extended spring training that he returned a little earlier than expected. He started in left field Sunday and will see plenty of playing time there with Mark Reynolds hitting so well as the first baseman. Desmond was 1 for 5 in his Colorado debut. “I was prepared. I felt great,” he said. “I was pretty much ready for anything. I was getting a little hungry toward the end. Other than that, I was good.”

In his first season back following elbow reconstructive surgery, closer Greg Holland is 11 for 11 in save chances. He’s also helped the Colorado Rockies finish the first month of the season atop the NL West. ”The ball, for the most part, it’s been spinning true out of my hand,” said Holland, who’s allowed two runs in 12 innings while striking out 13. ”As long as I’m doing my job and getting people out, that’s all I’m concerned with.”

This is the return to San Diego of former Padres manager Bud Black. He managed the team from 2007- 15 and maintains a home in nearby Rancho Santa Fe. His roots were deep in the San Diego community. They trace to his college days with a career, which put him in San Diego State’s Aztec Athletic Hall of Fame, before he won 121 games in the majors as a left-handed pitcher.

It’s rookie Antonio Senzatela (3-1, 2.81) on the mound. Senzatela gave up a season-high four earned runs against a red-hot Nats lineup on Thursday. He has pitched six innings in each of his last four starts. Senzatela gave up a season-high four earned runs against a red-hot Nats lineup on Thursday. He has pitched six innings in each of his last four starts. Senzatela beat San Diego on April 11, allowing two runs in seven innings.

Why Bet On San Diego?

Wil Myers blasted a three-run homer in the 12th inning on Sunday, propelling the Padres to a 5-2 victory over the Giants in San Francisco and the series win. The Padres had been shut down for the majority of the afternoon by Giants’ starter Ty Blach, but they broke through and tied the game with a two-run shot by Hector Sanchez off of Mark Melancon in the ninth. That set the stage for Myers to deliver in the 12th.

He had been 0-for- 5 on the day before crushing a George Kontos offering into the seats in left field. Myers is off to another impressive start at the dish, slashing .310/.325/.593 with seven homers, 20 RBI and two stolen bases through the first month of the season.

The Padres were 11-16 after the season’s first 27 games. No team in the Major Leagues has played more games. And 18 of the Padres’ first 27 games were on the road. Again, no Major League team has played more road games in April. Fifteen of the Padres’ next 20 games are at Petco Park. And the Padres will play 18 home games in May and another 16 in June. Thirty-five of the Padres’ next 55 games are at Petco Park — representing an excellent opportunity for a young team.

It’s veteran right-hander Jered Weaver (0-2, 4.71) on the mound. Weaver’s velocity has consistently diminished, and that may be the biggest reason he remained on the free-agent market until the pitching-challenged Padres signed him for $3 million on Feb. 19.

Weaver has made five starts without a win, all San Diego losses. Of 183 Major League pitchers who had thrown at least 100 combined four-seamers, two-seamers and sinkers, Weaver’s average velocity of 84.1 miles per hour was last on the list. That continued last Thursday. Here’s what Weaver threw for the three homers he allowed: a 78-mph slider and a 75.6 mph changeup on a pair to Chris Owings, and an 84.3-mph fastball to Yasmany Tomas. Weaver has already given up 10 homers over 28 2/3 innings, and he said knows he can’t even live on the edge like that.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out, that’s for sure,” Weaver said. “Obviously, the long ball has been killing me. When you fall behind with the stuff I’m throwing, you have to be perfect.”

Colorado at San Diego MLB Betting Pick: San Diego Padres

Weaver pitched well in his one lone start this season and had a quality start in Colorado on April 11. Rockies are 9-23 in the last 32 meetings in San Diego. Rockies are 0-4 in their last 4 Wednesday games.