Tag: Nolan Arenado

Colorado Rockies at Texas Rangers odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Friday’s Colorado Rockies at Texas Rangers sports betting odds and lines, with MLB betting picks, tips and best bets.

The Colorado Rockies visit the Texas Rangers Friday at Globe Life Field for an 8:05 p.m. ET game. We analyze the Rockies-Rangers sports betting odds and lines, with MLB betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Rockies at Rangers: Projected starting pitchers

RHP German Marquez vs. RHP Lance Lynn

Marquez in 2019: 12-5, 4.76 ERA in 28 starts.

  • 2019 vs. Rangers: NONE
  • Career vs. Rangers: NONE

Lynn in 2019: 16-11, 3.67 ERA in 33 starts.

  • 2019 vs. Rockies: NONE
  • Career vs. Rockies: 2-2, 2.76 ERA in 7 starts.

Bet $1. Win $100 in free bets if either the Rockies or Rangers hit a home run Friday, July 24th. Place your legal sports bets at BetMGM now in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet Now!

Rockies at Rangers: Key injuries

(List of injuries around the league)

Rockies

  • OF Charlie Blackmon (came in contact with COVID-19) probable
  • OF David Dahl (upper body) probable
  • OF Ian Desmond (personal reasons) out

Rangers

  • OF Willie Calhoun (hip flexor) questionable
  • RP Brett Martin (COVID-19 symptoms) out
  • RP Rafael Montero (conditioning) out

Rockies at Rangers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

MLB odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at Thursday 5:10 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Rockies 11, Rangers 7

Moneyline (ML)

The Rockies (-129) and Rangers (+115) kick off their 2020 regular season with this unique COVID-altered regional-schedule game. Every team is playing 60 games with 40 of them being against their own division and the other 20 games playing against the other league’s same regional division opponents. However, there isn’t much in the way of the previous history between the two ball clubs to draw on for this handicap. The last time these teams met was in June 2018.

Marquez was 7-3 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 road starts and 10-1 versus opponents below .500 last season. Against mashers like 3B Nolan Arenado (41 home runs and 118 RBI in 2019), SS Trevor Story (35 home runs and 85 RBI in 2019) and Blackmon (32 home runs and 86 RBI in 2019), it could be a long Opening Day for the Rangers. What we know about the Marquez and the Rockies lineup makes them a lot more bankable than the Rangers. TAKE the ROCKIES (+115) to beat the Rangers.

Run line/Against the spread (ATS)

Just because I’m taking the underdog on the moneyline, doesn’t mean I’ll swallow the vig to get the 1.5 runs of insurance. Realistically, the Rockies (+1.5, -167) could get pounded. Last season, Rockies starters had the highest ERA in the majors and their bullpen had the third-highest ERA. Also, their run line record was the fourth-lowest in baseball in 2019. PASS ON THE RUN LINE.

Over/Under (O/U)

I am a little nervous putting action either way on the total in Rockies-Rangers total of 9 runs (-110 on both sides). On one hand, both teams were above the league average in runs scored and runs allowed per game. On the other hand, BetMGM knows this, will price the total with said information and that explains both teams’ Over/Under trends from last season. In 2019, their combined Over/Under record was 154-160-10.  Also, Texas is moving into a new stadium this season, which may or may not be as hitter-friendly as the ballpark they played in from 1994-2019. PASS ON THE TOTAL.

Want some action on this game? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips and advice, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]

2020 National League MVP odds, picks and best bets

Previewing the National League Most Valuable Player MVP odds, with MLB betting odds, picks and best bets

Unlike in the American League, where it’s Mike Trout against the field, the competition for the 2020 National League MVP is wide open — to the point that one pick ain’t enough, Jack. You better make it three.

As of 3 p.m. ET Sunday, March 8, BetMGM has 13 different players listed at +3000 or less:

  • Mookie Betts (+500)
  • Cody Bellinger (+700)
  • Christian Yelich (+800)
  • Juan Soto; Ronald Acuna Jr. (+1000)
  • Nolan Arenado (+1600)
  • Fernando Tatis Jr.; Bryce Harper; Manny Machado (+2000)
  • Javier Baez; Kris Bryant; Freddie Freeman (+2500)
  • Ketel Marte (+3000)

National League MVP: Breaking down the field

The first thing that jumps out is that two Dodgers outfielders top the list. Personally, I would lean to Bellinger over Betts because Betts is a career American Leaguer and has to learn many new pitchers. Dodgers dominance has become expected and the two may end up canceling each other out, barring a gigantic season from one of them.

What I’m looking for (and often find) is a guy who is head and shoulders the best player on his team, reinforcing the notion that “valuable” means where would that team be without that guy? It also helps greatly to be a playoff team — or at least a playoff contender into the finals weeks of the season. For our purposes, I’m giving myself a $500 bankroll and splitting it three ways (wait for it).

WIN YOUR FANTASY BASEBALL LEAGUE

Sign up for BaseballHQ.com‘s award-winning, insider services and dominate. Sign up now; use the code “PREP20” at checkout to take 25% OFF a Draft Prep subscription.

I’m putting $150 on Yelich at +800. Entering his seventh season as a full-time starter, Yelich last season hit 44 home runs, drove in 97 runs, stole 30 bases and hit .329 to win his second straight batting title. And he did all of that in in just 130 games. He may not get quite the national attention that some other stars do, but he has MVP potential (and the 2018 MVP Award on his mantle), and a lot of times it takes a couple years of dominance to get deserved recognition. He fits well in that category. At +800, the value coming back is right.

I’m putting $150 on Acuna at +1000. Entering his third season, he has set the table for superstardom and a mid-nine-figure contract at some point. It’s not easy for a leadoff hitter to win MVP because his numbers suffer in terms of consistently having men on base when he comes up. But in his second MLB season in 2019, Acuna led the NL in plate appearances (715) runs scored (127) and stolen bases (37). And, by the way, he hit 41 bombs and had 101 RBI, anyway. If he drops his 2019 strikeout total (188) by 40, it means he makes contact 40 more times and the numbers will follow.

I’m putting $150 on Harper at +2000. He’s only a career .276 hitter and has posted — by far — the highest strikeout totals of his career in each of the last two seasons. But he has missed just eight of 324 games over the last two seasons and no player in baseball rides a hot streak longer than Harper. He’s Player of the Month material often. He’s +2000 for a reason, but a good dice roll at that altitude.

THE BET: Do a three-way parlay covering spots with Yelich, Acuna and Harper. However, our roll still has $50 left. How about throwing it the way of the gold standard Paul Goldschmidt? He has established himself as a mid-30 HR guy, but he is primed for blowing those out of the water. Over the last five years, he has played 791 of a possible 810 games. At +4000, he’s worth a chip-and-a-chair.

Want to get some action on MLB futures betting? Do you have what it takes to pick this season’s winners before the season even starts. Place legal sports bets online at BetMGM.

For more sports betting tips across all sports? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Follow @SportsbookWire.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1473]

What’s going on with Nolan Arenado and the Rockies? An explainer

The star third baseman isn’t happy.

Welcome to FTW Explains: A guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world.

Hoo boy. Nolan Arenado, the star third baseman who is a five-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glover and who’s led the National League in dingers three times in his seven Major League seasons, is mad at the Colorado Rockies.

That would seem weird a year after he signed an eight-year contract extension worth $260 million with the franchise he’s called home for his entire career. But nope! It’s an understatement to say Arenado and the Rockies aren’t seeing eye-to-eye at the moment, so let’s break down the situation.

What’s going on here?

After two straight postseason appearances, the Rockies finished 71-91 in 2019. Suddenly, at MLB’s annual Winter Meetings, Arenado’s name came up a bunch in trade rumblings, perhaps because the third baseman sounded pretty disappointed in a September interview with The Athletic:

“These guys have a great opportunity to show what they have and go into spring training with the upper hand. They should take every game seriously,” Arenado said. “And I need to lead by example.

“But it sucks that that’s what it feels like,” he said. “It feels like a rebuild.”

What happened next?

There were reports that the Cardinals, Braves and other teams were interested, but nothing really came of that, perhaps because of that ginormous contract attached to his name.

So general manager Jeff Bridich told The Denver Post that “we have listened to teams regarding Nolan and really nothing has come of it” and “we are going to move forward pretty much as we expected, with Nolan in the purple and black and as our third baseman.”

That seems fine.

It did! Until Arenado texted this MLB.com:

“There’s a lot of disrespect from people there that I don’t want to be a part of. You can quote that.”

Whoa.

Yeah!

It seems like star players are occasionally discussed in trade rumors all the time. What’s so different here?

Something bigger, according to more from MLB.com:

In reaction to Bridich’s announcement, Arenado elaborated.

“You ask what I thought of Jeff’s quotes and I say I don’t care what people say around there,” Arenado said. “There is a lot of disrespect.”

Asked what was said that he found particularly disrespectful, Arenado said, “No. I won’t get into the details.”

Arenado clarified his statement later, adding, “I’m not mad at the trade rumors. There’s more to it.”

My take: maybe he’s mad that the Rockies didn’t do much in the offseason, which is bad news for a team with a rotation that struggled a lot last season.

What could be next?

Arenado could publicly demand a trade — assuming his disgruntled statements above aren’t the beginnings of that move — which could be trouble for Colorado. Or he could hammer this out with management and just play for the Rockies until after the 2021 season, when he has an opt-out clause that winter.

[jwplayer 9k6qY7xl-q2aasYxh]