Colorado (23-20) at San Francisco (22-22)
When: Thursday, May 17th 2018
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA
Time: 10:15 ET | TV: NBCS Bay Area, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain
Opening Odds: San Francisco -125/8
With the Arizona Diamondbacks struggling, the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants are making their move toward the top of the National League West and will begin a four-game weekend series Thursday night at AT&T Park. Third baseman Nolan Arenado had a four-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday, as the Rockies dropped a 4-0 decision to the San Diego Padres, splitting their two-game set. Arenado could start another streak against a team he’s had success against in the past. He is a career .311 hitter with 21 homers in 88 games versus San Francisco. The Giants won the first three games of their series at home against Cincinnati, but came up short on the sweep, falling 6-3 despite Brandon Belt’s solo home run that gave him the team lead with nine. Belt has homered in each of the last three games and is 10-for-23 during a five-game hitting streak. Giants SS Brandon Crawford is even hotter than Belt, going 10-for-13 over the last four games, while Colorado’s Ian Desmond is going in the opposite direction (3-for-29 over the past eight games). Colorado starter Chad Bettis, who underwent his final chemotherapy treatment following testicular surgery exactly a year ago, will start against San Francisco’s Jeff Samardzija.
Pitchers: Rockies – Chad Bettis (4-1, 3.12 ERA) | Giants – Jeff Samardzija (1-2, 6.94)
Bettis won 14 games in 2016, but did not pitch until mid-August last year and finished 2-4 in nine starts. He already has four wins in eight outings this season. Bettis is coming off his shortest outing of the season when he was pummeled for seven runs and 10 hits over five innings in a no-decision versus Milwaukee. Bettis has been terrific away from Coors Field, recording a 4-1 record and 1.35 ERA in five road starts as opposed to a 6.89 ERA at home. Belt (7-for-16) and outfielder Andrew McCutchen (4-for-8) have had success against Bettis.
Samardzija was on pace for his best outing of the season last time out against Pittsburgh, but he surrendered a two-run blast in the sixth inning and wound up charged with five runs over 5.2 innings in a no-decision. He lasted four innings in his previous start, giving up five runs in a loss at Philadelphia. Desmond (10-for-24), Arenado (12-for-29) and Gerardo Parra (12-for-30) cause Samardzija trouble.
Colorado has been a very good road team this season and Bettis has been even better. Samardzija just flat-out stinks and the Rockies should be able to win this game easily.
Pick: Rockies +130
BETTING TRENDS:
- Rockies are 6-1 in their last 7 road games.
- Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Rockies are 5-1 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Rockies are 4-1 in their last 5 games following an off day.
- Rockies are 6-2 in their last 8 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rockies are 2-5 in their last 7 overall.
- Rockies are 2-5 in their last 7 games on grass.
- Rockies are 2-7 in their last 9 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Rockies are 0-5 in their last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Rockies are 6-0 in Bettis’ last 6 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Rockies are 5-1 in Bettis’ last 6 Thursday starts.
- Rockies are 4-1 in Bettis’ last 5 road starts.
- Rockies are 19-7 in Bettis’ last 26 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Rockies are 25-12 in Bettis’ last 37 starts.
- Rockies are 25-12 in Bettis’ last 37 starts on grass.
- Rockies are 1-4 in Bettis’ last 5 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Giants are 5-1 in their last 6 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Giants are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. National League West.
- Giants are 4-1 in their last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Giants are 6-2 in their last 8 during game 1 of a series.
- Giants are 6-2 in their last 8 home games.
- Giants are 3-7 in their last 10 overall.
- Giants are 3-7 in their last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Giants are 3-7 in their last 10 games on grass.
- Giants are 5-12 in their last 17 Thursday games.
- Giants are 2-5 in their last 7 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Giants are 1-5 in their last 6 games following a loss.
- Giants are 1-6 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Giants are 7-2 in Samardzija’s last 9 starts when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Giants are 4-9 in Samardzija’s last 13 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Giants are 2-7 in Samardzija’s last 9 starts.
- Giants are 2-7 in Samardzija’s last 9 starts on grass.
- Giants are 1-5 in Samardzija’s last 6 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
- Under is 6-1 in Rockies last 7 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Rockies last 6 Thursday games.
- Under is 5-1 in Rockies last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 8-2 in Rockies last 10 overall.
- Under is 8-2 in Rockies last 10 on grass.
- Under is 4-1 in Rockies last 5 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
- Under is 4-1-1 in Rockies last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 8-3 in Rockies last 11 road games.
- Over is 5-2 in Rockies last 7 games following an off day.
- Under is 30-12 in Rockies last 42 when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 5-2 in Rockies last 7 vs. National League West.
- Under is 35-15-1 in Rockies last 51 games following a loss.
- Under is 4-0 in Bettis’ last 4 road starts.
- Under is 9-2 in Bettis’ last 11 starts during game 1 of a series.
- Under is 13-3 in Bettis’ last 16 starts when their opponent allows 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Under is 20-6 in Bettis’ last 26 starts on grass.
- Under is 20-6 in Bettis’ last 26 starts overall.
- Under is 9-3 in Bettis’ last 12 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Under is 15-6-1 in Bettis’ last 22 starts with 5 days of rest.
- Under is 5-0 in Giants last 5 Thursday games.
- Over is 3-0-1 in Giants last 4 home games.
- Over is 6-0 in Giants last 6 during game 1 of a series.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Giants last 6 overall.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Giants last 6 on grass.
- Over is 4-1 in Giants last 5 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 4-1 in Giants last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Giants last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Under is 6-2 in Giants last 8 when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game.
- Over is 5-2 in Giants last 7 vs. National League West.
- Over is 5-0 in Samardzija’s last 5 starts on grass.
- Over is 5-0 in Samardzija’s last 5 starts overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Samardzija’s last 5 starts vs. National League West.
- Over is 9-3 in Samardzija’s last 12 starts after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game.
- Over is 9-4 in Samardzija’s last 13 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
- Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in San Francisco.
- Under is 6-2 in Samardzija’s last 8 starts vs. Rockies.
- Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings.
- Rockies are 2-6 in the last 8 meetings.
- Giants are 1-4 in Samardzija’s last 5 starts vs. Rockies.
- Rockies are 0-5 in the last 5 meetings in San Francisco.
