Early money has pushed this total down from 9 to 8.5 as bettors eye two struggling starting pitchers.
Game Overview
The Cardinals return home after a 5-5 road trip to host the MLB-worst Rockies, who have lost 6 straight games and are a disastrous 14-45 on the road this season. These teams recently met in Colorado with the Rockies surprisingly taking 2 of 3 from St. Louis, but prior to that series, the Cardinals had won 4 straight head-to-head meetings. The Cardinals have been mediocre against the spread at home (30-29), but the Rockies have covered just 39.5% of their games overall this season.
Key Matchups & Analysis
- Struggling Starters Face Off
Chase Dollander (2-9, 6.68 ERA) takes the mound for Colorado against Miles Mikolas (6-9, 5.11 ERA) in what appears to be a matchup of vulnerable starters. Dollander has particularly struggled on the road with opponents batting .311 against him in away games, while Mikolas has allowed 4+ earned runs in three consecutive starts. - Rockies' Road Woes
Colorado's -322 run differential is by far the worst in baseball, and their road performance has been abysmal. They're scoring just 3.1 runs per game away from Coors Field while allowing 6.9 runs per game on the road. - Cardinals' Offensive Edge
St. Louis ranks 13th in MLB with a .249 team batting average compared to Colorado's .236 mark. The Cardinals' on-base percentage (.319) also significantly outpaces the Rockies' (.296), giving them a much more reliable offensive foundation. - Bullpen Advantage
The Cardinals' bullpen has been solid with JoJo Romero (16 holds) and Kyle Leahy (13 holds) providing reliable late-inning options. Colorado's bullpen has been decimated by injuries with Seth Halvorsen (11 saves) and Zach Agnos both currently on the IL.