PREMIUM
Rogers' *10* NL Wild Card WIPEOUT >> +$18,010 in Regular Season! 19-9 Run!
(MLB) Colorado vs. Arizona,
Money Line: -168.00 Arizona (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -168.00 Arizona (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: Much has been made (as it should) about the Twins going from a MLB-high 103 losses in 2016, to a wild card meeting with the Yankees on Tuesday (result unknown at this writing). However, the National League's wild card game features two teams playing postseason baseball coming off fairly big losing seaosn, themselves. In fact, both Arizona and Colorado, 'flipped the script' from their respective 2016 seasons. The Arizona Diamondbacks were 69-93 in 2016 but earned the NL's s No. 1 wild card spot by going 93-69 in 2017. They will host NL West rival the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, after Colorado went from 75-87 to 87-75 MLB, to earn the No. 2 spot. One couldn't make that up!
The pitching matchip: John Gray will take the ball in the biggest start of his career for Colorado. He was limited to 20 starts this season due to some injury issues early in the year but turned in a solid effort, going 10-4 with a 3.67 ERA (team was 13-7 in his starts). He actually fared better at hitter-friendly Coors Field, where he owned a 3.17 ERA, compared to 4.06 on the road. He's 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA in five career starts vs. Arizona (team is 3-2). Zach Greinke is the ace of Arizona's rotation, entering with a 17-7 record in 32 starts with a 3.20 ERA. The D'backs were 22-10 with him on the mound, going plus-$971 vs. the moneyline (8th-best). He's 9-5 (3.97 ERA) lifetime against Colorado in 24 starts (teams are 14-10).
The pick: The Rockies struggled at times over the second half of 2017 and were challenged by the Milwaukee Brewers up to the final week of the regular season. Colorado's .273 team BA ranked second in MLB, its 5.09 RPG ranked third an the team's .781 OPS ranked 5th. However, after opening 27-11 on the road, Colorado 'limped' home 14-29 in its final 43 road games. That hardly bodes well against an Arizona team which was 52-29 at Chase Field, outscoring opponents 5.64-to-4.27. Then there is Greinke's home mark. He was 13-1 at home in 18 starts (team was 15-3!), posting a 2.87 ERA, and 0.96 WHIP. Sure's it's a "one-game,winner-take-all" situation but how does one go against Greinke? Make the D'backs a 10* play.
The pitching matchip: John Gray will take the ball in the biggest start of his career for Colorado. He was limited to 20 starts this season due to some injury issues early in the year but turned in a solid effort, going 10-4 with a 3.67 ERA (team was 13-7 in his starts). He actually fared better at hitter-friendly Coors Field, where he owned a 3.17 ERA, compared to 4.06 on the road. He's 2-2 with a 4.75 ERA in five career starts vs. Arizona (team is 3-2). Zach Greinke is the ace of Arizona's rotation, entering with a 17-7 record in 32 starts with a 3.20 ERA. The D'backs were 22-10 with him on the mound, going plus-$971 vs. the moneyline (8th-best). He's 9-5 (3.97 ERA) lifetime against Colorado in 24 starts (teams are 14-10).
The pick: The Rockies struggled at times over the second half of 2017 and were challenged by the Milwaukee Brewers up to the final week of the regular season. Colorado's .273 team BA ranked second in MLB, its 5.09 RPG ranked third an the team's .781 OPS ranked 5th. However, after opening 27-11 on the road, Colorado 'limped' home 14-29 in its final 43 road games. That hardly bodes well against an Arizona team which was 52-29 at Chase Field, outscoring opponents 5.64-to-4.27. Then there is Greinke's home mark. He was 13-1 at home in 18 starts (team was 15-3!), posting a 2.87 ERA, and 0.96 WHIP. Sure's it's a "one-game,winner-take-all" situation but how does one go against Greinke? Make the D'backs a 10* play.
