Dodgers vs Rockies MLB Week 18 Lines & Game Preview.

Dodgers vs Rockies MLB Week 18 Lines & Game Preview

Written by on July 31, 2019

If the NL Cy Young balloting was taken today, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu would likely be the winner. The MLB leader in ERA takes to the mound Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies, which has been a house of horrors for Ryu in his career. The Dodgers are still MLB betting favorites.

How to Bet Dodgers at Rockies MLB Odds & TV Info

Braves vs Nationals MLB Odds, Preview & Prediction

Why Bet on LA Dodgers?

The Dodgers are likely to add a reliever before Wednesday’s trade deadline. Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez has received most of the attention over the past couple of days, but Tigers closer Shane Greene is also under consideration. Vazquez is under team control through 2023 (if two club options are exercised), so he’s going to cost considerably more than Greene.

Reliever Dylan Floro will be activated from the injured list Wednesday. Floro threw another bullpen session Monday and came out of it fine. He’s missed the last week and a half with neck inflammation. Floro is 4-3 with a 4.11 ERA this year in 37 games.

Cody Bellinger is tied for second in the Major Leagues in homers (34) and ranks second in total bases (246) and slugging percentage (.670) while ranking third in OBP (.428). Since his MLB debut on April 25, 2017, Bellinger has the most homers in the National League. Bellinger is about to reach 100 homers and 200 walks in his career faster than almost anyone else in MLB history.

Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu (11-2) allowed one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out four over 6.2 innings Friday night against the Nationals. He didn’t factor into the decision. Ryu didn’t give up a run until the seventh inning, but the Dodgers offense failed to wake up until the eighth, robbing the southpaw of a chance for a victory. He dealt with plenty of traffic on the bases, but he managed to work himself out of trouble for the most part.

Ryu admits he hasn’t had his command as of late, running into some trouble last time out against the Nationals, but the Cy Young frontrunner has still allowed just four runs in his four most recent starts with a 1.35 ERA over that span and a 1.74 ERA on the season. However, Ryu has an ERA of 9.15 in five career starts in Denver.

Why Bet on Colorado?

Monitor the status of Rockies center fielder and leadoff man Charlie Blackmon. He was not in the Rockies’ lineup Monday after his back locked up on him during a postgame workout Sunday. Manager Bud Black said that he had his “fingers crossed” that Blackmon doesn’t need to go on the 10-day injured list. He is slashing .323/.369/.597 with 21 homers and 62 RBI on the season. Blackmon has hit .349 (60-for-172) since June 10, the second-highest batting average in the NL over that span. He leads the NL with a .415 (68-for-164) home batting average.

Nolan Arenado’s 25 career home runs against the Dodgers are second-most among active players. The Rockies this year have had 952 plate appearances taken by players with an OPS+ under 80. Basically, nearly 1,000 plate appearances of the 4,000 this season (25 percent) have been taken by a batter more than 20 percent worse than league average.

Dodgers vs Rockies should be a close victory for Colorado.

Scott Oberg ranks second among NL relievers (sixth in MLB) with a 1.62 ERA (50.0 IP, 9 ER) and ranks ninth with a .173 opponents’ batting average. He could be traded by Wednesday afternoon.

The Rockies’ German Marquez (10-5) secured the win after allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven over seven innings Friday against the Reds. Marquez gave up a run in the first and second innings, but he managed to settle down and close out the night with five scoreless frames. He pounded the strike zone throughout his start, firing 69 of 94 pitches for strikes.

Marquez has won two straight starts since he allowed 11 earned runs in 2 2/3 innings on July 15 vs. San Francisco. Since that outing, a 19-2 loss to the Giants, Marquez has allowed only four earned runs. He was aggressive in the zone against the Reds with no walks.

Dodgers vs Rockies MLB Betting Trends

  • Under is 4-1-1 in Marquez’s last 6 starts vs. Dodgers
  • Over is 4-1 in Ryu’s last 5 starts vs. Rockies
  • Dodgers are 0-4 in Ryu’s last 4 road starts vs. Rockies
  • Dodgers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games against an opponent in the National League
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers’ last 7 games played in July
  • Rockies are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games at home
  • The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado’s last 8 games this season

Expert Final Score Prediction for Dodgers vs Rockies

Los Angeles Dodgers 5 – Colorado Rockies 7