Cubs vs. Rockies Odds, Pick & Preview: Stroman and the Chicago Hitters Match Up Well with Colorado (April 15)
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin. Pictured: Marcus Stroman
- The Rockies are short home favorites Friday night against the Cubs.
- Chicago starting pitcher Marcus Stroman has had success against Colorado in the past, but will this continue on Friday?
- Tony Sartori breaks down the matchup and shares his best bet below.
Cubs vs. Rockies Odds
| Cubs Odds | +115 |
| Rockies Odds | -135 |
| Over/Under | 10 (-105/-115) |
| Time | 8:40 p.m. ET |
| TV | MLB.TV |
| Odds via PointsBet. Get up-to-the-minute MLB odds here. | |
Friday features the second game of a four-game set between the NL Central's Chicago Cubs and the NL West's Colorado Rockies. All numbers and figures below are from before Thursday's series-opening game.
The Rockies have gotten off to a strong start this season as they have won four of their first five games while the Cubs sit at 3-2 prior to the start of this series. Will the Rockies continue their strong start to the season, or can the Cubs pull off the road upset?
Cubs Should Thrive Against Righty Starter
This series will be the second on the road for the Cubs this season following a two-game split with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Right-hander Marcus Stroman is the projected starting pitcher for Chicago in this matchup. He had a great start to the season in his first outing against the Brewers as he allowed just one earned run on two hits in five innings.
Stroman had a strong year for the New York Mets in 2021 as he posted a 3.02 ERA and 1.145 WHIP. Last season, Stroman dominated the Rockies in his two starts against them as he went 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA and 0.643 WHIP over 14 innings.
Even if Stroman does not have a strong start once again, Chicago's bullpen has proven to be trustworthy thus far this season. Currently, the Cubs' relief pitching ranks fourth in the league in BA and sixth in OBP.
I also expect the Cubs' pitching to get good run support as their bats are slated to go against right-hander German Marquez. Against right-handed pitchers this season, Chicago ranks ninth in BA, third in OBP, and 11th in OPS.
Not only have the Cubs done well against right-handers this season, but this lineup has previous success against Marquez as well. In 44 career plate appearances against Marquez, this current Cubs roster has a .310 BA, .381 SLG, and .315 wOBA.
Rockies Face an Uphill Battle Against Stroman
As I mentioned above, right-hander German Marquez is the projected starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies in this contest. Like Stroman, Marquez had a great season debut as he only allowed one earned run on just three hits in seven innings against the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers.
That being said, I think we could see some regression from him in this matchup. Last season, Marquez was awful in the second half as he posted a troubling 6.12 ERA and 1.493 WHIP.
In his lone start against the Cubs last year, Marquez got pummeled as he allowed five earned runs and seven hits in just three innings. He may not get much run support either as this Rockies lineup has not had much success against Stroman.
In 68 career plate appearances against Stroman, this current Rockies roster possesses a mere .206 BA, .238 SLG, and .223 wOBA. Against right-handers this season, Colorado ranks just 22nd in the league in OBP.
Cubs-Rockies Pick
We are getting good value on the Cubs at plus money due to the Rockies' red-hot start this season, but the metrics certainly give an edge to the Cubs in this matchup. This game will be the first time the Rockies are favorites this season, while the Cubs are 2-1 as an underdog.
I have the Cubs having both the pitching and hitting advantage in this contest, and they should get the job done at Coors Field as a short road underdog.
Pick: Chicago Cubs ML (+115, PointsBet) | Play up to (-110)
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