National League Wild Card: Rockies at Diamondbacks Picks

Baseball rivalries are that much more intense when there’s a spot in the National League Divisional Series on the line. That is what’s at stake for the Colorado Rockies visit the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card playoff on Wednesday night (8:08 p.m., EST).

Not many baseball pundits would have predicted either of these clubs challenging for a playoff spot before the season began. However, the Diamondbacks finished second in the NL West with a 93-69 record followed by Colorado Rockies at 87-75.

The D-backs are -170 favorites heading into the home matchup and for good reason, as the club posted a 52-29 record at Chase Field. Don’t count out the Rockies, who have shocked the baseball world all season long. Colorado heads to Arizona as intriguing +145 underdogs.

Wednesday night’s pitching match is one for the ages with right-hander Zack Greinke towing the rubber for the D-Backs and Jon Gray taking the mound for the Rockies. Gray capped off a solid year with a 10-4 record and a respectable 3.73 ERA.

Gray has excelled over his last three starts, picking up two wins and a no decision during that stretch. In Greinke’s last three starts, the veteran righty has one win, a loss and a no decision. The former AL Cy Young winner went 17-7 for the Diamondbacks, who finished 11 games behind the Dodgers for first place in the division.

If you’re looking for an edge between these two teams before placing your wager on the NL Wild Card, keep in mind the numbers have been fairly close. The Rockies have averaged 5.09 runs overall, compared to Arizona’s 5.01. The Rockies have averaged 9.32 hits while the Diamondbacks aren’t far behind with 8.67. Colorado led the entire NL in runs scored with 824, but that is the luxury of playing in MLB’s most homer-friendly ballparks at Coors Field.

Bovada.lv has a series of enticing odds lined up for Wednesday night’s highly anticipated matchup between the D-Backs and Rockies. If you’re betting on the spread, Arizona head into the match as -4.5 favorites. However, in a win-or-go home NL Wild Card contest, expect this to be much a tighter affair.

Bovada has set the projected run total at 6 ½ and even though these powerhouse offenses can easily surpass that mark look for this to be a pitching duel between Gray and Greinke.

What will the margin of victory be?

If you’re looking for game props, Bovada has a +190 line the D-Backs will win the game by 1-2 runs. However, if you want to hit the jackpot, consider taking the Rockies by 1-2 runs, which pays out +340 odds.

Will the game need extra innings to determine a winner?

The D-Backs and Rockies met 11 times over the course of the 2017 season, with Arizona dominating earning 8 wins during that span. None of those meetings required extra innings, which means it’s likely we’ll see more than nine on Wednesday night. If you think there will be extra innings, Bovada is offering +700 odds.

Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks (-170)

Category : MLB Betting Picks

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