At 3:10 PM ET, we have an NL matchup between the Marlins and Rockies. This one is being played at Coors Field in Denver and the Marlins are the slight money line favorite, with their line sitting at +106 compared to the Rockies at -125. The over/under line is currently 11.5 runs.
Valente Bellozo is starting for the Marlins, and he is facing off against Bradley Blalock for the Rockies. The Marlins are 48-85 this season, while the Rockies are 50-84. This puts them both in 5th place in their respective divisions. BSFL will be televising Thursday's matchup.
Miami vs. Colorado Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Marlins at Rockies
- Where: Coors Field Denver
- Date: Thursday, August 29th
- Betting Odds COL -125 | MIA +106 O/U 11.5
Marlins vs Rockies Last Game Recap
Thanks to a six-run 6th inning for the Rockies' offense, they cruised to an easy 8-2 win over the Marlins in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Rockies were favored at -137 on the money line.
Miami actually scored the game's first run in the 2nd inning and added their final run in the 4th. As for the Rockies, they didn't get on the board until scoring one run in the 5th, but they broke the game open with six in the 6th. Both teams went scoreless in the 7th and 8th, and the Rockies tacked on their final two runs in the 8th.
Kyle Freeland pitched well for the Rockies in this one, going six innings and giving up just two earned runs. He finished the game with five strikeouts and allowed just one home run. Max Meyer struggled on the mound for the Marlins, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work.
Marlins Preview
As underdogs, the Marlins have a 44-72 record, but as favorites, they are just 4-13. Their overall series record this season is 10-26-6, and they are currently on a three-game losing streak. Miami's straight-up record is 48-85, and they are 30 games behind the Phillies in the NL East.
On the run line, the Marlins are 61-72, with a -1.4 run differential per game. Their over/under record is 73-56, and the average total runs in their games is 8.9. Today's O/U line of 11.5 runs is higher than 99.2% of their games this season.
Miami is sending right-hander Valente Bellozo to the mound today as he faces the Rockies on the road. Bellozo has made seven starts this year and has a record of 2-2 with a 3.35 ERA. In his most recent outing, he took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had put together three straight scoreless outings. Bellozo's ERA at home is 6.21 compared to 1.74 on the road. Per nine innings, he is averaging 6.69 strikeouts and 3.11 walks.
Heading into today's game, the Marlins offense is averaging just 3.7 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. They have been even worse on the road, averaging just 3.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .240, which is 12th in the league, but they are near the bottom of the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Miami's team on-base percentage is just .296.
Jake Burger has been the Marlins' top power threat this season, as his 25 homers are 12th in the league. He also leads the team with 59 RBIs. Burger comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak, and over his last five games, he has gone 7/20. Jesús Sánchez has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 5/13 with two homers and eight RBIs in his last four games.
Rockies Preview
Colorado is 50-84 overall and 29.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. They are 15-28 in divisional games and have a 31-34 record at home. The Rockies have an average run margin of -0.7 runs per game at home, leading to a 35-30 run line record. Overall, they are 67-67 against the run line.
When favored, the Rockies are 2-1 straight up and 1-2 against the run line. Their over/under record for games with a total of 11.5 runs is 4-5, and the average run total for their games this season is 10 runs. So far, only 4.5% of their games have had total lines as high as today's 11.5 runs.
Bradley Blalock will be making his third start of the season for the Rockies, and he has been solid in his first two outings. He picked up a win in his last start against the Yankees, going 5 1/3 innings and striking out 5. He also started against the Padres, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just 1 run.
So far this season, the Rockies are averaging 4.3 runs per game, which is 18th in the MLB. However, they have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 5 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .244, which is 10th in the league, and have the 12th best slugging percentage in the league. The Rockies have been striking out at a high rate this season and are just 20th in the league in terms of drawing walks.
Ezequiel Tovar has been swinging a hot bat of late, going 7/19 in his last four games with two homers and six RBIs. Tovar is also on a five-game hitting streak. For the season, he is batting .274 with a team-high 21 homers. Brenton Doyle also has 21 homers and is batting .269 overall. He has gone deep in three straight games and has driven in a team-high 63 runs.
Marlins vs. Rockies Prediction: Rockies ML -125
Our prediction for today's Marlins vs. Rockies game is to take the Rockies on the money line at -125. We actually have the Rockies winning this one by a score of 5-4, which would give you a little wiggle room to also take the over, as the line is currently sitting at 11.5 runs.
Looking at today's starting pitchers, Bradley Blalock is projected to finish with seven strikeouts, which is the highest among all starters. As for Valente Bellozo, his projected strikeout total is six, which has him ninth among all starters.
