Colorado AT Pittsburgh
Opening Runline: -1.5 +140 – COL / +1.5 -160 – PIT
Current Runline: +1.5 -215 COL / -1.5 +180 – PIT
Opening Moneyline: COL -125 / PIT +105
Current Moneyline: PIT -110 / COL +100
Opening Total: 8.5
Current Total: 8
SP- E. Rogers – COL
SP- P. Maholm – PIT
The Pirates have been making history. Unfortunately, for Pirates fans, players, and management, the history making has been of the negative variety. The Pirates managed to set a futility record not only for baseball, but for all of the major league American sports, finishing with their 17th consecutive sub .500 season. And the worst part is there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. Even after receiving a brand new beautiful stadium in PNC Park, the team still has few things to be excited about. Their 105 losses last year represented the worst Pirates season since 1952, a team that managed to win 15 games fewer than their current pathetic squad.
So what’s better – the Pirates defense or their offense? Trick question. They finished at the bottom of the league in both runs scored and they had the worst efficency record on defense of any team, too, with a .673 rating. So, yes, they are horrible in hitting, pitching, and team defense and have almost no prospects of winning given the ownership’s perpetual lack of spending and lack of team support in Pittsburgh.
For as bad of a pitchers’ park as Coors Field is, the Rockies have one of the best aces in the National League in Ubaldo Jimenez and still managed to post the average for run production, rougly 4.42 per game, astoundingly low considering the high altitude home run bombing park they play in. This ranks as the best pitching staff in Rockies history, and coupled with their outstanding offense, it makes the Rockies a contender, not just this year, but for years to come, as they set up what could be the first Colorado Rockies dynasty.
They won the NL Pennant in 2007, made the playoffs in 2009, and weren’t eliminated from last year’s playoffs until the final week of the regular season. The trio of superstars that the Rockies have is nearly unrivaled in the majors. Jimenez has quickly turned into a true ace; Troy Tulowitzki had the most home-run-dominant Septembers in league history; and Carlos Gonzalez hit .369 with 71 RBIs over the final three months of the season. Gonzalez finished 3rd in MVP voting and took the batting crown and there’s no reason to expect anything different from the 24 year old superstar this season.
Some betting trends:
Colorado is 4-14 SU in their last 18 games. The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado’s last 8 games and it has also gone UNDER in 4 of their last 5 on the road. Colorado is 0-5 SU in their last 5 on the road and the total has gone OVER in 5 of their last 6 on the road against Pittsburgh. Colorado is 2-4 SU in their last 6 on the road against Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games and the total has gone UNDER in all 5 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games. The total has gone OVER in 5 of their last 5 at home, however. Pittsburgh is 7-2 SU in their last 9 games at home and the total has gone OVER In 4 of the last 5 games against the Rockies. The total has also gone OVER in 5 of the last 6 at home against the Rockies. Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home against the Colorado Rockies.
The line shifted vigorously from being in Colorado’s favor to Pittsburgh. A lot of this is indicative of the fact that the Pirates are at home and Colorado’s superior talent may be the difference in the victory.
