Phillies vs. Rockies Prediction and Odds for Monday, April 18 (Rockies Keep it Close at Home)

The 6-3 Colorado Rockies host the 4-6 Philadelphia Phillies tonight at 8:40 PM EST in Game 1 of a four-game series.

Aaron Nola takes the mound for a Phillies squad that's lost five of six. Nola has a 6.75 ERA through 12 innings in two starts this year and has middling results against the Rockies over the last couple of seasons.

Colorado counters with Chad Kuhl, who limited the Rangers to one run and two hits over 4.1 innings in his lone start of the season.

Can the Rockies get to Nola early to bounce back from yesterday's loss to the Cubs or will the Phillies snap out of their slump to earn a series opening victory?

Let's check out the odds from WynnBET to help us find value in this Phillies vs Rockies matchup:

Phillies vs Rockies Odds, Run Line and Total

Run Line:

• Phillies -1.5 (-110)
• Rockies +1.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• Phillies: -158
• Rockies: +148

Total:

• 11.0 (Over -105/Under -115)

Phillies vs Rockies Prediction and Pick

Chad Kuhl was impressive overall in his first start of 2021, allowing just one run to a potent Rangers offense over 4.1 innings. However, there were some underlying reasons for concern.

First, he walked four batters. Second, he had a poor hard hit percentage and average exit velocity, meaning Texas was hitting the ball hard but at defenders. The top of the Philly lineup is deadly, and if Kuhl doesn't limit hard contact then he'll be in for a long day.

But Philadelphia's offense is really struggling. They exploded for 10 runs against Miami in the third game of their four-game series, but otherwise managed just seven runs in the other three. Colorado's bullpen has been the best in the MLB with a 1.80 ERA, so if Kuhl can limit the damage in the first few innings then the Rockies will be in good shape.

The Phillies' bullpen is 24th leaguewide with a 4.43 ERA, so Nola needs to perform well in the early going. He did a good job forcing swing and misses on certain pitches in his first couple of starts but was hammered on his secondary ones. Colorado's batters have the second-best OPS in the league in 2022, so they've been seeing the ball well.

I'm not quite ready to trust Nola given his disappointing end to 2021 and so-so beginning to 2022. Colorado has won four straight games as underdogs and I think they're well-positioned to keep this one close. If Kuhl can survive the early innings, the Rockies will be in great shape to steal one at home, especially with their bullpen advantage.

Pick: Rockies +1.5 (-110)

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.