The Texas Rangers will wrap up their nine-game road trip with a three-game interleague series at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, so I’ve prepared the best Rangers vs. Rockies betting pick and odds for the opening clash set for Tuesday, June 1, with the first pitch at 8:40 PM ET.
The Rockies opened as -133 home favorites to win the opener, while the Rangers are +123 road dogs with a total of 10.0 runs on FanDuel Sportsbook. These two foes meet for the first time in 2021 after splitting a six-game series in the abbreviated 2020 MLB season.
The Rangers have been terrible lately
The Texas Rangers are riding a six-game losing streak following a four-game set at the Seattle Mariners that ended this past Sunday. They’ve dropped 15 of their last 19 games overall, so the Rangers enter the Rockies series with a 22-33 record, sitting bottom of the AL West.
Texas is scoring 4.02 runs per game (19th in the majors), but over their last four games, the Rangers couldn’t surpass a two-run line. They’ve smacked 63 home runs so far this season (11th) along with just 64 doubles (27th).
The Rangers are yielding 4.62 runs per game (21st in the MLB), and their pitching staff is sporting a 4.46 ERA (23rd). Dane Dunning will take the mound Tuesday, and he’s 2-4 with a 4.75 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in ten starts this season. The 26-year-old righty has never met the Rockies. He’s 4-4 with a 4.43 ERA in 17 career starts in the big leagues.
The Rockies just snapped a five-game skid
The Colorado Rockies are coming off a 4-3 victory at the Pittsburgh Pirates this past Sunday. They overcame a 3-1 deficit with one score in the eighth and a couple of more in the ninth inning to put an end to their five-game losing streak.
The Rockies are 20-34, sitting at the fourth spot of the NL West standings, one game ahead of the Diamondbacks, and 14 games behind the No. 1 Padres. Colorado is scoring 4.22 runs per game (16th in the majors) while surrendering 5.02 in a return (25th).
German Marquez will toe the slab Tuesday against the Rangers, and the 26-year-old right-hander is 3-5 with a 4.47 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 11 starts this season. He’s 0-2 with a 2.31 ERA in a couple of career starts against the Rangers that came in 2020. Marquez yielded three earned runs on 11 hits and five walks while striking out nine across 11.2 innings of work.
Trends:
Texas:
- 0-6 in the last six games overall
- 0-10 in the last ten road contests
Colorado:
- 6-2 in the last eight games at home
MLB Picks
German Marquez pitched well in both starts against Texas last season but was unlucky to get charged for a pair of losses. He’s been excellent over his previous two outings in 2021, allowing just one earned run on seven hits and four walks across 13 frames of work.
On the other side, Dane Dunning was pounded for seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks in a 9-8 defeat at the Los Angeles Angels this past Wednesday. He’s had a few strong displays in 2021, but the rest of the way has been a bumpy road for the righty. Therefore, I’m backing the Rockies to provide some run support for Marquez and grab a victory.
Pick: Take Colorado Rockies at -133
The Total:
Betting on the over is always a tricky task when the line is set at exactly ten runs and the teams face off at Coors Field. The betting trends suggest the under, as both Texas and Colorado have struggled to score runs recently. The Rockies have the worst OPS in the majors in the last two weeks (.572), while the Rangers are the third-worst team with a .611 OPS.
The under is 5-2 in the Rangers’ last seven outings, and it is 9-3 in the Rockies’ previous 12 games overall. However, things can get very interesting down the stretch, and that’s why I’m sticking with the hosts to win. Colorado’s relievers own the highest ERA in baseball (5.44), while Texas’ bullpen is just ten spots behind with a 4.14 ERA.
Pick: Go under 10.0 runs at -105
