The St. Louis Cardinals continue a crucial homestand on Thursday by opening a series against the Colorado Rockies, who have been one of the worst teams in the majors for the past few months. The Cards will be favored on Thursday’s MLB Odds.

How to Bet Rockies vs Cardinals MLB Spread & Game Info

• When: Thursday, 7:45 PM ET
• Where: Busch Stadium
• Probable pitchers (away/home): German Marquez/Miles Mikolas
• TV: MLB Extra Innings
• Live Stream: MLB.tv
• Radio: SiriusXM
• Opening MLB Lines: St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (Total 8)

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Weather Forecast

• Isolated Thunderstorms: 26°C/78°F
• Humidity: 75%
• Precipitation: 33%
• Cloud Cover: 83%
• Wind: 5 mph NNE
• Stadium Type: Open

Why Bet on Colorado?

Nolan Arenado got the day off Wednesday versus the Diamondbacks but should play on Thursday. That said, Arenado may get more days off than usual down the stretch this season with the Rockies fully out of contention. Arenado played in his 1,000th career game Tuesday. He is the eighth player in Rockies history to play 1,000 or more games with the club.

Arenado has five home runs over his last six games. He recorded his fourth multi-home run game of the season Sunday, the 19th of his career. His nine home runs this August are tied with his total from May for the most in a month this season. He joins Todd Helton (six seasons, 1999-2004) and Vinny Castilla (six seasons, 1995-99, 2004) as the only Rockies players with five or more seasons of at least 30 home runs. Arenado is the fifth third baseman in MLB history to record 30 home runs in five consecutive seasons.

The Rockies’ German Marquez (12-5) struck out eight while allowing two runs off five hits and one walk over five innings to earn the win Saturday against the Marlins. The 24-year-old gave up a leadoff home run to Jon Berti in the first inning but managed to turn things around thereafter. Marquez owns a 171:33 K:BB with a 1.19 WHIP over the season.

Marquez will make his 28th start of the season, his 15th on the road and his first against the Cardinals. He is 4-0 over his last six starts since July 21 at the Yankees (Colorado 4-2 over that span). Marquez has made quality starts in four of those games, and has a 3.32 ERA (38.0 IP, 14 ER) with five walks and 43 strikeouts over that span.

The right-hander has made three career starts vs. St. Louis, going 2-0 with a 1.53 ERA (17.2 IP, 3 ER), three walks and 17 strikeouts. He will be pitching at Busch Stadium for the first time in his career. On the road this season, he is 7-3 with a 3.52 ERA (94.2 IP, 37 ER), 15 walks and 87 strikeouts. His road ERA ranks eighth in the National League.

Team Stats

• Runs: 5.33
• Hits: 9.44
• Walks: 2.99
• Strike Outs: 9.15

Defense

• Runs: 5.83
• Hits: 9.70
• Walks: 3.42
• Strike Outs: 7.98

Why Bet on St. Louis?

Before Tuesday’s game, the Cards recalled outfielder Harrison Bader from Triple-A. Bader was demoted late last month after posting a brutal .195/.309/.339 batting line through 90 games. In Tuesday’s game, Bader reached base in all four plate appearances. He was the spark plug in this one that the Cardinals had hoped he’d be all season by tripling and walking three times. Defensively, Bader is terrific. He has saved a total of 10 runs so far in 2019 with his glove. This has him tied for fourth among centerfielders with over 500 innings this season. He ranks among the likes of Lorenzo Cain, Kevin Kiermaier, Victor Robles, Billy Hamilton, and Byron Buxton, players all known for their defensive prowess.

Dexter Fowler recorded a season-high four RBI in Tuesday’s win. It was his 7th game with three or more RBI in a season, a new career-high. Fowler has 9 RBI vs. MIL this season (40 career), tied for his most against any opponent this season (Pittsburgh, 9) and career (Cincinnati). Marcell Ozuna recorded his team-leading 7th three-hit game of the season.

It’s Miles Mikolas on the mound here. Mikolas (7-13) allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five over five innings in a loss to the Reds on Saturday. Nick Senzel led off the home half of the first inning with a solo shot and Aristides Aquino bookended Mikolas’ lackluster outing with a three-run shot in the fifth. An 18-game winner last season, Mikolas now has 13 losses this year, most in the National League. Home runs have been the big difference.

Mikolas has struggled in his past two starts, giving up 11 runs (10 earned) to the Pirates and Reds, with eight of those runs coming from home runs. On Saturday, Mikolas extended his streak of games with two or fewer walks to 40, breaking the Cardinals’ record.

Team Stats

• Runs: 4.50
• Hits: 8.19
• Walks: 3.23
• Strike Outs: 8.64

Defense

• Runs: 4.21
• Hits: 8.04
• Walks: 3.35
• Strike Outs: 8.59

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Rockies vs Cardinals MLB Betting Trends

• Rockies are 2-10 in their last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning record
• Cardinals are 12-5 in Mikolas’ last 17 starts with 4 days of rest
• Rockies are 2-9 SU in their last 11 games on the road
• The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado’s last 6 games played in August
• Cardinals are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against Colorado
• The total has gone UNDER in 12 of St. Louis’ last 16 games against an opponent in the National League

Expert Final Score Prediction for Rockies vs Cardinals

Colorado Rockies 5 – St. Louis Cardinals 7