The Colorado Rockies will be gunning for a fifth straight win when they head to the Minute Maid Park to open a two-game set against the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Colorado is 51-61 on the season and in 4th place in NL West, 20 games behind the San Francisco Giants. Houston is 66-46 on the season and top of the AL West division. The Astros are clinging on to a two-game lead over the Oakland A’s.
The Astros have won eight out of their last 10 meetings against the Rockies.
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies notched their sixth sweep of the season when they blanked the Miami Marlins last weekend. They concluded a six-game homestand with a 5-1 record while outscoring the Cubs and Marlins 55-28 while blasting 17 home runs. Colorado has an impressive 38-21 record at Coors Field but is just 13-40 on the road this season with only one series win away from home.
Colorado is averaging 4.59 runs per game. The Rockies rank 7th in team batting average at .251 and they are 13th in on-base percentage at .318 and 12th in slugging percentage at .414. C.J. Cron has homered 18 times to lead Colorado. He also leads the team with 59 RBI on the season.
Right-hander John Gray will start for the Rockies on Tuesday. Gray is 7-7 on the season with an ERA of 3.67. He took the loss in his last outing, despite producing a quality start of three runs on eight hits and one walk with six strikeouts across six innings of work against the Chicago Cubs last August 4th.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros have lost six out of their last eight games and they have seen a six-game lead in the American League West cut down to just two after a 7-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. Injuries and an inconsistent rotation have caused the Astros’ recent woes and they hope to snap out of it in this set against Colorado.
Houston is scoring an average of 5.39 runs per game. They lead the league in team batting average at .266 and OBP at .338 while their slugging percentage of .440 is second-best overall. Michael Brantley has a .329 batting average while Jose Altuve has 25 home runs and Yordan Alvarez leads the team with 74 RBI.
Right-hander Jake Odorizzi will start for Houston in the first of this two-game set. Odorizzi is 4-6 with an ERA of 4.95 this season. He’s struggled since the All-Star break, going 1-2 with an ERA of 8.82 and a 1.116 OPS allowed in four starts. This will be his first start against the Rockies.
Who Wins?
The Rockies are 4-0 in their last four games played. However, Colorado is 28-58 in their last 86 games against an opponent with a winning record, 2-6 in their last eight games after an off day, 12-40 in their last 52 games as road underdogs, and 13-41 in their last 53 road games overall.
The Astros are 4-0 in their last four Tuesday games, 20-7 in their last 27 interleague home games against an opponent with a losing record, 49-18 in their last 67 days following an off day, 81-34 in their last 115 Game 1 of a series, 23-10 in their last 33 games after scoring five or more runs in their previous game, and 129-60 in their last 189 games as home favorites.
Head to head, Houston is 17-5 in the last 22 meetings between these two teams. The Astros are also 35-13 in their last 48 meetings in Houston.
Please Note
Colorado has been red hot during their winning streak as they have scored a total of 40 runs in four games. However, all those games were played at Coors Field. Away from home, Colorado has a slash line of just .212/.285/.331 this season.
Jake Odorizzi isn’t the best pitcher in the rotation but against a team that struggles on the road, he won’t do that bad either.
If this game were played at Coors Field, I would’ve considered the plus money on the Rockies. Outside it, the Rockies are a different team and the Astros still have the bats that can light up the scoreboards.
Prediction: Houston Astros
Over/Under Betting
The total has gone over in six out of the Rockies’ last seven games after a win. The over is also 6-1 in their last seven games as road underdogs, 5-1 in their last six games when they score five or more runs in their previous game, 4-1 in their last Game 1 of a series, and 4-1 in their last five games against an opponent with a winning record.
The Astros have seen the total go over in four out of their last five Tuesday games. The over is so 4-1 in their last five interleague home games, 6-2 in their last eight games against the National League West, 16-7 in their last 23 Game 1 of a series, and 29-14 in their last 43 games when their opponent gives up five or more runs in their previous game.
Over
8.5 (-110)
Under
8.5 (-110)
Odds from BetOnline as of 08/10/2021
The Rockies have not been a trustworthy defensive team this season, regardless of where they play. When you look at the stats, they’ve been worse at home, with opponents averaging five runs per game away from Coors Field. That should be good news to the best run-scoring team in the league.
Odorizzi hasn’t been in great form as of late and he is sure to be hit by the Rockies. While I think Gray will hold the Astros in check, he won’t be able to shut them down completely.
Colorado has scored an average of 6.67 runs per game in their last three games played. The Astros are the best run-scoring team in the league. I’m not expecting a track meet but neither will be a pitching gem from either starter. Both teams should score enough runs to get the score over the total.
Prediction: Over 8.5