MLB Baseball
2009-08-15 - Colorado Rockies at Florida Marlins
A Sports Betting Pick by BetOnline
Baseball: United States, MLB
Saturday, August 15, 6:10 PM ET
MLB Betting – Rockies, Marlins slug it out for wild-card position
When it comes to MLB betting, Colorado and Florida were afterthoughts at the beginning of the year.
However, the Rockies headed into this weekend’s series with a three-game lead on the Marlins for the wild-card, and both are playing very well as of late.
Colorado Rockies
(64-51 overall; 32-28 road)
Aaron Cook (10-4, 3.93) lost for the first time since June 1st in a 3-1 loss at Philadelphia, but it’s not like he pitched badly, he just didn’t get the run support.
He’s already won against the Rockies this year, boosting his record to 2-2 in five career outings (four starts) with a 5.06 ERA.
Cook has fared well on the road this year with a 6-3 mark in 10 starts with a 3.59 ERA, which doesn’t make the Rockies a bad selection when making your MLB picks.
Florida Marlins
(61-54 overall; 32-27 home)
Rick VandenHurk (2-1, 4.15) is making his sixth start of the year, and outside of a poor performance in Washington, the 24-year-old righthander has given a good account of himself in 2009.
He faced the Rockies once in 2007, giving up a pair of runs on four hits in 4.1 innings as the Marlins were easing him into big-league life.
VandenHurk's inexperience may come into play however, when you evaluate this game with your betting software.
The Betting Verdict
Sportsbook odds could go either way in this contest, as Cook is having a great season and pitching well above expectations away from home, but the Marlins are a solid team at home and VandenHurk has thrown well at LandShark Stadium.
There are a couple more interesting stats you should know before making your wagering picks: the Rockies were 11-13 against National League East teams as of Friday, while the Marlins were only marginally better against the National League West, going 14-13.
There isn’t a lot between the two in this clash, and the intensity will be high as they jockey for position in the wild-card race, but you have to give the edge to Cook and the Rockies when you’re betting online.
The Pick :
Colorado Rockies
