The Colorado Rockies head to Wrigley Field on Monday, August 23, 2021, to open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs, so here are the best betting pick and odds for this National League showdown.
The Rockies and Cubbies will wrap up their regular-season set after meeting each other at Coors Field earlier this month. Colorado won the series 2-1, and the Rockies are slight favorites to beat the Cubs this Monday, according to Tipico Sportsbook.
The Rockies have a nice August
The Colorado Rockies extended their winning streak to five games and improved to 57-66 on the season following a 5-2 victory to Arizona this past Saturday. They’ve won 11 of their first 18 games in August (Sunday’s games are excluded from the analysis), scoring a whopping 101 runs in the process.
Colorado is boasting the best OPS in the majors this month (.860). The Rockies have also recorded a sterling .290 batting average while smacking 35 doubles and 30 home runs.
On the pitching side of things, the Rockies have registered a pedestrian 4.73 ERA in that 18-game span. Antonio Senzatela will get the nod Monday, and the 26-year-old righty has a 4.10 ERA and a .299 batting average against over his last seven starts and 41.2 frames of work. Senzatela is only 2-9 in 20 starts this season, though the Rockies have gone 4-3 in his previous seven outings.
Antonio is 1-1 with a poor 8.71 ERA in four career starts and one relief appearance against the Cubs. He met Chicago on August 5 and took a no-decision in a 6-5 win, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and a walk across 4.2 innings.
The rebuilding Cubs are falling apart
The Chicago Cubs fell to 54-71 on the season following a 4-2 loss to Kansas City last Saturday, recording their 20th defeat in the last 24 games overall. The Cubbies also dropped to 3-16 in August, carrying the second-highest ERA in the majors this month (6.93). Also, they’ve allowed a ridiculous .305 batting average to their opponents.
Kyle Hendricks is expected to get the mound Monday, and the 31-year-old right-hander is 14-5 with a 4.04 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 25 starts this season. Hendricks has had some ups and downs over the last few weeks, and his previous outing has been a disaster. Last Tuesday, Kyle yielded nine earned runs on 11 hits across four innings of work in a heavy 17-4 home loss to Milwaukee.
Over his last six starts, Hendricks has registered a 5.35 ERA and a .307 batting average. He’s 3-3 with a 4.07 ERA in nine career starts against the Rockies.
Betting Trends:
Colorado:
- 6-1 in the last seven games overall
- 8-4 in the last 12 games against the Cubs
Chicago:
- 2-14 in the last 16 games overall
- 2-13 in the last 15 games at home
Colorado Rockies vs. Chicago Cubs Pick
I’ve mentioned the Rockies’ excellent form at the plate, though it has a lot with their home park. In their last six outings on the road, the Rockies have scored just 11 runs in total. Still, they own a nice .310/.355/.437 triple-slash in 42 at-bats against Hendricks, I’m backing the visitors to win.
Antonio Senzatela cannot be trusted, but the Rockies bullpen has improved lately, posting a 3.68 ERA and 3.81 FIP over the last two weeks of action. On the other side, the Cubs bullpen has an awful 7.11 ERA and 5.49 FIP in that span.
The Total:
Betting on the over seems like the best option for Monday’s matchup at Wrigley Field, although the Cubs are slashing just .238/.291/.378 in August. The hosts should score a few runs off Antonio Senzatela, as the current Cubs have a 1.025 OPS in 23 at-bats against him.
In five of Senzatela’s last seven starts, the teams combined for ten or more runs. On the other side, the Cubs’ relievers have been terrible as of late. This will be a high-scoring affair should the Rockies get into the Cubbies bullpen early.