Colorado (91-71) at LA Dodgers (91-71)
When: Monday, October 1st 2018
Where: Dodger Stadium,
Los Angeles, California
Time: 4:05 ET | TV: ESPN
Opening Odds: Los Angeles -160/7
The Baseball Gods are treating us with not just one, but two National League tiebreaker games on Monday afternoon to see who advances as division champions, and who must play in a wild card game the next day. That NL West will be decided at Dodger Stadium as the red-hot Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Dodgers after both finished the regular season with 91 wins apiece. Two hard throwing right-handers – German Marquez and Walker Buehler – will be tasked with preventing their teams from having to play the loser of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs contest taking place earlier in the afternoon. The Dodgers swept three from rival San Francisco over the weekend while scoring 28 runs, including 15 on Sunday, and Colorado won nine of its last 10 after a 12-0 rout of Washington in Sunday’s finale. The winner advances to host the NL East champion Atlanta Braves in the opener of the best-of-five Division Series on Thursday. Colorado’s Nolan Arenado went deep twice Sunday, giving him the NL HR crown with 37, while Manny Machado takes a nine-game hitting streak (12-for-36) into the contest for Los Angeles, which has won 12 of 19 games in the season series. Dodgers’ OF Yasiel Puig is 21-for-48 with five homers versus the Rockies this year, while Arenado has gone deep four times versus Los Angeles in 2018.
Pitchers: Rockies – German Marquez (14-10, 3.76 ERA) | Dodgers – Walker Buehler (7-5, 2.76)
Marquez is having a really solid season despite having to pitch in Coors Field and has recorded 11 or more strikeouts in five of his last six outings. He’s coming off a victory on Wednesday against Philadelphia in which he allowed three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings to give him 221 Ks in 191.1 innings in 2018. Marquez is 2-0 with a 3.19 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers – earning both victories this season.
Buehler is quickly becoming an ace in his young career and has four quality starts in five opportunities during September. He only has a 1-1 record to show for it despite a 1.95 ERA and has 148 strikeouts over 130.2 innings this season. Buehler has lost only once since August 1st and that came at Colorado on September 8th. He is 0-1 with a 2.61 ERA in five starts versus Colorado in 2018.
This should be a terrific game as both teams have a lot of momentum coming in. I have to give the pitching edge to Buehler in this one. He doesn’t seem fazed by pressure and has been pitching lights-out in September. The other edge is experience. L.A. went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series last year, while the current Rockies roster has barely tasted the postseason.
Pick: Dodgers -168
BETTING TRENDS:
- Rockies are 9-1 in their last 10 overall.
- Rockies are 9-1 in their last 10 games on grass.
- Rockies are 6-1 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Rockies are 23-8 in their last 31 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Rockies are 5-2 in their last 7 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Rockies are 7-3 in their last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rockies are 38-18 in their last 56 games following a win.
- Rockies are 41-20 in their last 61 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rockies are 49-24 in their last 73 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rockies are 2-5 in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Rockies are 1-4 in their last 5 playoff road games.
- Rockies are 1-8 in their last 9 playoff games.
- Rockies are 5-0 in Marquez’s last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rockies are 5-0 in Marquez’s last 5 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rockies are 4-0 in Marquez’s last 4 Monday starts.
- Rockies are 6-1 in Marquez’s last 7 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Rockies are 4-1 in Marquez’s last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Rockies are 4-1 in Marquez’s last 5 starts.
- Rockies are 4-1 in Marquez’s last 5 starts on grass.
- Rockies are 4-1 in Marquez’s last 5 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rockies are 6-2 in Marquez’s last 8 starts vs. National League West.
- Dodgers are 6-0 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Dodgers are 5-0 in their last 5 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Dodgers are 6-0 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Dodgers are 7-1 in their last 8 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Dodgers are 5-1 in their last 6 home games.
- Dodgers are 4-1 in their last 5 games following a win.
- Dodgers are 18-5 in their last 23 vs. National League West.
- Dodgers are 13-4 in their last 17 overall.
- Dodgers are 13-4 in their last 17 games on grass.
- Dodgers are 6-2 in their last 8 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
- Dodgers are 12-4 in their last 16 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Dodgers are 6-2 in their last 8 playoff home games.
- Dodgers are 5-2 in their last 7 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Dodgers are 102-50 in their last 152 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 Monday games.
- Dodgers are 4-0 in Buehler’s last 4 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Dodgers are 5-1 in Buehler’s last 6 starts after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Dodgers are 6-2 in Buehler’s last 8 home starts.
- Dodgers are 5-2 in Buehler’s last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Dodgers are 1-4 in Buehler’s last 5 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Over is 5-0 in Rockies last 5 Monday games.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Rockies last 4 playoff games.
- Under is 4-1 in Rockies last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 4-1 in Rockies last 5 road games.
- Under is 4-1 in Rockies last 5 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 8-2 in Rockies last 10 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 22-7 in Rockies last 29 vs. National League West.
- Under is 21-7-1 in Rockies last 29 games vs. a starter with a WHIP less than 1.15.
- Under is 8-3 in Rockies last 11 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 18-7-1 in Rockies last 26 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 5-2 in Rockies last 7 on grass.
- Over is 5-2 in Rockies last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 5-2 in Rockies last 7 overall.
- Under is 4-0-1 in Marquez’s last 5 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 6-1 in Marquez’s last 7 starts with 4 days of rest.
- Under is 5-1 in Marquez’s last 6 road starts.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Marquez’s last 5 Monday starts.
- Under is 9-3 in Marquez’s last 12 starts on grass.
- Under is 9-3 in Marquez’s last 12 starts overall.
- Under is 6-2 in Marquez’s last 8 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 8-3 in Marquez’s last 11 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Under is 5-2 in Marquez’s last 7 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Dodgers last 4 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Over is 4-0-1 in Dodgers last 5 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Dodgers last 6 games following a win.
- Under is 4-1-1 in Dodgers last 6 playoff home games.
- Over is 4-1 in Dodgers last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 17-5 in Dodgers last 22 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 13-4-1 in Dodgers last 18 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 16-5 in Dodgers last 21 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 6-2-1 in Dodgers last 9 on grass.
- Over is 6-2-1 in Dodgers last 9 overall.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Dodgers last 5 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Dodgers last 5 playoff games.
- Over is 6-2-1 in Dodgers last 9 vs. National League West.
- Over is 5-2-1 in Dodgers last 8 home games.
- Under is 7-3 in Dodgers last 10 home games following a road trip of 7 or more days.
- Under is 14-6 in Dodgers last 20 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 5-0 in Buehler’s last 5 starts on grass.
- Under is 6-0 in Buehler’s last 6 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-0 in Buehler’s last 6 starts after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-0 in Buehler’s last 5 starts overall.
- Under is 4-0 in Buehler’s last 4 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Under is 6-0 in Buehler’s last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 5-0 in Buehler’s last 5 starts vs. National League West.
- Under is 5-0 in Buehler’s last 5 starts when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 10-1 in Buehler’s last 11 home starts.
- Under is 4-1 in Buehler’s last 5 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance.
- Under is 4-1 in Buehler’s last 5 starts when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-2 in Buehler’s last 7 starts with 5 days of rest.
- Under is 4-1 in Buehler’s last 5 starts vs. Rockies.
- Under is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings.
- Under is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings in Los Angeles.
- Rockies are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings in Los Angeles.
- Rockies are 0-4 in the last 4 meetings.
