Atlanta Braves
Colorado Rockies
(+100/-120)+140
As the Colorado Rockies prepare to face the Atlanta Braves on August 9, 2024, both teams find themselves in contrasting positions. The Rockies sit at 42-74, struggling through a dismal season, while the Braves hold a record of 60-54, showcasing a much stronger performance. The Rockies’ recent loss to the New York Mets, where they fell 9-1, adds to their woes, and they will be looking to snap a tough stretch as they open this series at Coors Field.
On the mound, Colorado is set to start Tanner Gordon, who has yet to secure a win this season with a 0-3 record and a troubling ERA of 6.75. Despite his poor showing, Gordon’s 4.14 xFIP suggests he might have been unlucky so far. However, he is coming off a solid outing where he pitched six innings, allowing just one earned run. In contrast, Grant Holmes is projected to take the mound for Atlanta. Though Holmes has an impressive ERA of 3.00, his recent start against the Brewers saw him allow three earned runs over five innings, underlining the potential for vulnerability.
Despite the Rockies’ 23rd-ranked bullpen, their offense has shown flashes, ranking 17th overall this season. Brenton Doyle has been a standout, leading the team with a .261 batting average and 19 home runs. Meanwhile, Marcell Ozuna is a key player for the Braves, boasting a robust .299 average and 33 home runs.
With the projections favoring the Braves to score significantly higher than their season average, it will be crucial for the Rockies to quickly find their rhythm in this series opener. The Game Total is set at a high 10.5 runs, indicating expectations for a high-scoring affair. The Rockies will need to leverage their home-field advantage to keep pace with Atlanta’s potent lineup.
Atlanta Braves Insights
- Atlanta Braves – 1st Five Innings (F5) Moneyline (-170)Grant Holmes has been lucky this year, compiling a 3.00 ERA despite the leading projection system (THE BAT) estimating his true talent level to be 4.53 — a 1.53 gap.Explain: Pitchers that are overperforming should be expected to pitch worse going forward, which can create value if the lines are too heavily weighing the lucky, to-date overperformance.
- Orlando Arcia – Over/Under 1.5 Hits (+200/-265)Orlando Arcia has primarily hit in the back-half of the lineup this season (87% of the time), but he is penciled in 5th on the lineup card in this game.Explain: The higher in the order a player bats, the more plate appearances he will get and the more opportunities he will get to hit the Over for every market. A player who hits higher in the order than he normally does may provide extra value opportunity since the market may be based on him hitting lower.
- Atlanta Braves – 2H MoneylineAccording to the leading projection system (THE BAT), the Atlanta Braves’ bullpen profiles as the 7th-best out of all teams in Major League Baseball.Explain: Most bettors only consider the starting pitcher, but a strong bullpen sneakily creates a tougher matchup for the opposing offense and suppresses a game’s runs.
Colorado Rockies Insights
- Colorado Rockies – Moneyline (+140)Out of every team playing today, the 3rd-best infield defense is that of the Colorado Rockies.Explain: Defense is an integral part of preventing hits and runs.
- Kris Bryant – Over/Under 1.5 Total Bases (+140/-185)Kris Bryant has been cold of late, with his seasonal exit velocity of 85.8-mph dropping to 80.1-mph over the last 14 days.Explain: Hitting the ball hard increases the chances of either a home run or the ball landing in fair territory for a hit before a fielder can get to it.
- The Colorado Rockies offense projects for the 4th-most runs on the slate, per the leading projection system (THE BAT X).Explain: THE BAT X is a highly sophisticated projection system that accounts for a multitude of factors like player quality, ballpark, weather, umpire, defense, and more.
Betting Trends
- Colorado Rockies – Moneyline (+140)The Colorado Rockies have hit the Moneyline in 34 of their last 80 games (+5.25 Units / 7% ROI)
- Over/Under 10.5 Game Total (+100/-120)The Atlanta Braves have hit the Game Total Under in 67 of their last 113 games (+21.75 Units / 17% ROI)
- Matt Olson – Over/Under 1.5 Hits (+205/-275)Matt Olson has hit the Hits Under in 23 of his last 45 games (+13.75 Units / 31% ROI)