Colorado Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves Best Bet: Will the Braves and Rockies Hit Past a High Total?
The Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves battle it out at Coors Field tonight. Will the Braves and Rockies hit past a high total? Ben Rajavuori shares his best bet for the game.
Ben Rajavuori - August 30, 2023, 4:46 PM EDT
5 minColorado Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves Best Bet: Will the Braves and Rockies Hit Past a High Total?
Ah, Coors Field. A hitter's dream and a pitcher's nightmare. There's a reason just about every pitcher for the Rockies has an ERA over 5.0. Not all of them are that bad; it's just that with the altitude of Coors and the usual wind patterns, balls carry more than any other ballpark, which leads to more home runs. This series has brought the top offense in the league, and statistically one of the best offenses in MLB history, to the most hitter-friendly ballpark. Hence, the total is 13.5 tonight, the highest total for any game inside the United States so far this season. Will it still go over?
Rockies vs. Braves Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: August 30, 2023
- Time: 8:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Colorado Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves Prediction
The Braves scored 14 runs in game one, which, at this point, isn't that surprising for this offense. The Braves are in the top 10 for team OPS in MLB history with a .845 team OPS, and they have not been slowing down at all. In fact, they have been picking it up. The team's worst hitting month was April, with a .253 team batting average. In August, they are hitting .300 as a team with a .894 OPS. What makes this all even scarier is that they are only better against lefties.
It's hard to believe, but the Braves are hitting .296 ON THE SEASON with a .895 OPS against lefties in 1103 plate appearances. Those are literally video game numbers. In the last 30 days, both are even higher, as they have a .311 batting average and .932 OPS against lefties. Now, they are facing a lefty in the most hitter-friendly ballpark in baseball with the lowest air density. The Braves are a combined .348 off Kyle Freeland with a 1.010 OPS in 89 at-bats against Freeland. Now you can see why the total is 13.5.
On the Rockies' side, they may actually get some runs of their own. The Braves are calling up 25-year-old Darius Vines to make his MLB debut. Vines has just five starts in AAA this season, although he pitched pretty well, posting a 3.05 ERA. Still, he is debuting in the big leagues, and he gets the worst park to do it in. Pitching at Coors Field isn't easy for any pitcher, let alone a pitcher making his MLB debut. While the Rockies are not the scariest offense, they have still hit well at home this season, posting a .268 batting average at home, which is seventh-best in the league. So, while the Rockies may not win this game, I think they can put up runs of their own and contribute to this over.
The Rockies have the highest bullpen ERA in the MLB in the last 30 days, posting a 7.14 bullpen ERA, so life won't be much better after Freeland exits this game. However, I'm not taking the Braves run line because you never know what to expect from a debuting pitcher, and the Rockies could bang him up in Coors Field. Rather, I like the over because we should see plenty of runs on both sides. It's the highest total for a United States game this season for a reason.
Colorado Rockies vs. Atlanta Braves Best Bet
Pick: Rockies/Braves Over 13.5 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
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