Nationals vs. Rockies Prediction: Plenty of Runs Expected in German Marquez-Josiah Gray Matchup
By Thomas Snodgrass
There is no playoff berth in sight, but a little pride is on the line for two teams that disappointed in 2021. The Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies start a three-game series at Coors Field on Monday night.
These two teams lasted played a three-game set in Washington from Sept. 17-19, with Colorado leaving town with two wins.
Taking the mound for the hometown Rockies is right-hander German Marquez (12-10, 4.32 ERA) who has struggled as of late, failing to get to the fifth inning in his last two starts and has compiled a 6.55 ERA in his last seven starts combined. Marquez faced the Nationals on Sept. 17 and allowed eight hits and six runs in four innings.
One interesting thing about Marquez is his home/road splits. While many pitchers despise the idea of pitching in Coors Field, Marquez thrives there, posting a 3.49 ERA at home compared to his 5.38 ERA on the road.
Washington will send young righty Josiah Gray to the bump. Gray came to the Nationals organization from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the deal that sent shortstop Trea Turner to the West Coast. After spending a little time with the Dodgers in the NL West, Gray has made some appearances against the Rockies in the past.
Here’s how the odds look for this matchup on WynnBET Sportsbook.
Nationals vs. Rockies Odds
Moneyline:
Nationals +145
Rockies -170
Run Line:
Nationals +1.5 (-125)
Rockies -1.5 (+105)
Total:
11.5 (Over -105/ Under -115)
Nationals vs. Rockies Prediction
Marquez has pitched terribly over the last few weeks and that makes me nervous to see him facing a lineup containing outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell. Also, 33-year old rookie Yadiel Hernandez has been quietly impressive, batting .291 since the All-Star break, and 23-year old switch-hitting catcher Keibert Ruiz is hitting .433 (13-for-30) in his last seven games. Ruiz was another piece of the Trea Turner trade.
With two shaky starters on the mound and two bad bullpens (Washington third-worst, Colorado fourth-worst), there will be a lot of runs in this game, and the over 11.5 runs at -105 appears to be a solid play. I trust the Nationals lineup just a bit more in this one, so I will take them too on the moneyline at +145.
Will the Nationals and Rockies score over 11.5 runs total tonight? Make your pick at WynnBET.