Adam Wainwright will get the start for the Cardinals (48-62, 24-31 home) as they host the Rockies (42-66, 17-36 away) at Busch Stadium. The Rockies will give the starting nod to Chris Flexen. Check out my prediction for game one of this National League matchup between the Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals.

COLORADO ROCKIES VS ST. LOUIS CARDINALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Colorado Rockies +146

This game will be played at Busch Stadium at 8:15 ET on Friday, August 4th.

WHY BET THE COLORADO ROCKIES:

  • Coming into the game, the Cardinals have gone just 2-3 in their last five home games.
  • Over their last five games as the favorite, the Cardinals are just 1-4 (straight-up).
  • Adam Wainwright has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 13.20 over his last four starts.

COLORADO ROCKIES LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

This season, the Rockies have an overall series record of 12-19-3 and are currently 5th in the NL West. Colorado’s overall record is 42-66, which includes their current two game losing streak. On the road, the Rockies are 17-36 and 25-30 at home.

Chris Flexen will take the mound for the Rockies with an 0-5 record. He has made 18 appearances this season, and his ERA is 8.08, K/9 6.5, FIP 7.23, and OBP .401.

Chris Flexen’s most recent performance was far from his best, as he allowed five earned runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. The Rockies ultimately fell to the Athletics 11-3 in the contest.

Having gone deep 3 times in their last five games, the Rockies are 9th in that span. At 4.3 runs per game, Colorado is 21st in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .252 while hitting a total of 107 home runs (22nd).

Ryan McMahon is the Rockies’ home-run king in 2023, with 18 round-trippers and 56 RBIs to his name. His slugging percentage for the season is a solid .479.

WILL THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

On an overall record of 48-62, the Cardinals are 5th in the NL Central. On the road, St. Louis has put together a record of 24-31 while going 24-31 at home. Against teams with below .500 records, the club has gone 15-15. Overall, the Cardinals have played in 34 series, going 13-17-4.

Starter Adam Wainwright has had a challenging season thus far, with an overall record of 3-5 for the Cardinals. Across 13 appearances, his ERA stands at 7.18 and he has a K/9 rate of 4.88. His FIP is 5.87 and opponents have managed to reach base against him at a .396 clip.

Adam Wainwright was unable to help the Cardinals secure a victory against the Cubs, as he allowed four earned runs and seven hits in six innings of work. The final score of 5-1 was not in St. Louis’ favor.

Over their last five games, the Cardinals are ranked 13th in the league in scoring at 3.2 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4.7 per contest puts them 11th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, St. Louis is 6th, with an OBP currently sitting at .330. The team’s collective batting average is .256 (7th).

The Cardinals have seen Alec Burleson lead the way offensively over their last five games, as he has hit two home runs. On the season, Burleson has eight long balls and a .249 batting average.