Rockies vs. Dodgers Prediction: Can MLB’s Worst Team Slow Down the League’s Best?

The best team in baseball hosts the worst team in the National League on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, but this Colorado-Los Angeles series has been anything but a formality. The Dodgers enter the finale at 60-32, the top record in Major League Baseball and a comfortable lead atop the NL West, while the Rockies sit at 38-55, still stuck at the bottom of the NL standings. Yet Colorado has already taken a game off Los Angeles this week, and the two clubs split the first two meetings of this set before Wednesday’s 10:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Dodger Stadium.

Why the Market Still Respects the Rockies as Home Dogs Fold

Oddsmakers have installed the Dodgers as heavy favorites, but not so heavy that Colorado is being completely dismissed. Los Angeles is priced around -250 on the moneyline with Colorado sitting near +205, while the run line has the Dodgers at -1.5 (-120) and the Rockies at +1.5 (+100). The total for the game sits at 9.5, with the over slightly favored at -122 compared to +100 on the under. For a matchup between the top and bottom teams in their respective divisions, that’s a relatively modest gap on the run line, a reflection of how unpredictable this series has already been.

Bettors weighing the moneyline against the alternative of laying points on the run line should note that Colorado has covered as an underdog more often than not with a lineup that can produce runs in bunches, even against a stacked Dodgers pitching staff.

Roki Sasaki’s Rocky Season Meets a Rockies Lineup That Has Nothing to Lose

Roki Sasaki gets the ball for Los Angeles with a 3-5 record and a 5.40 ERA over 75 innings this season, numbers that stand out as a clear soft spot in an otherwise dominant Dodgers rotation. Sasaki has struck out 75 batters, showing the raw stuff that made him one of the sport’s most closely watched international signings, but he has also allowed 73 hits and issued 32 walks, and his 17 home runs surrendered point to command issues that have plagued him throughout the year. The Dodgers need him to eat innings on a staff that has been stretched thin, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone, and Bobby Miller all sidelined by injury and reliever Edwin Diaz still working his way back from elbow trouble.

Colorado, for its part, has been competitive against the Dodgers this week despite its lowly record. The Rockies dropped an extra-innings heartbreaker on Monday before bouncing back to win 4-3 on Tuesday, evening the series and showing that even MLB’s worst team can hang around Dodger Stadium when the matchup on the mound is favorable. That 4-3 win came against a Los Angeles staff that has had to lean on depth arms all season, and Wednesday’s matchup with Sasaki gives Colorado another look at a Dodgers starter who has struggled with consistency.

Los Angeles still has more than enough firepower to overcome a shaky start from Sasaki. Freddie Freeman has been steady in the middle of the order, hitting .292 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI, and he was named an All-Star finalist for his production this season. Mookie Betts has provided thump as well, and the Dodgers’ overall depth, both in the lineup and on the pitching staff behind Sasaki, is why Los Angeles remains the favorite even on a night its starter carries an ERA over 5.00. The Dodgers’ bullpen, even without Diaz and Treinen, has options who can bridge the gap if Sasaki’s outing runs short.

Colorado’s lineup has shown occasional flashes of power this week, including a 15-3 blowout win over San Francisco last weekend, proof that even a last-place club can produce a big offensive night when the matchups line up. The Rockies won’t scare anyone with their overall numbers, but against a Dodgers starter who has had trouble limiting hard contact, Colorado’s hitters have a real opportunity to keep this one competitive into the middle innings.

Prediction and Best Bet

Los Angeles still holds the clear edge in overall roster talent, and even with Sasaki’s inconsistent season, the Dodgers’ offense and bullpen depth should be enough to close out the series in their favor. Colorado has already proven capable of pushing this matchup, but backing the NL’s best record at home against a team with the league’s worst mark remains the sounder long-term play, even at a shorter price than usual.

• Prediction: Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Colorado Rockies 4
• Best Bet: Dodgers on the moneyline

With Sasaki’s home run issues in mind, the total also carries some appeal given how well Colorado has hit lately, but the moneyline remains the cleanest way to back a Dodgers roster that is simply too deep for a rebuilding Rockies club to beat consistently, even with the run prevention questions surrounding Wednesday’s starter. For bettors comparing prices before placing a wager, checking a DraftKings review or a FanDuel review can help find the best number on the moneyline. Those newer to totals and run lines may also want to brush up using a MLB betting guide or a primer on how betting odds work before locking in a wager on this one. Shoppers looking to compare live pricing across the market can also check the MLB odds hub for the latest lines as first pitch approaches, and those hunting for a new sportsbook account can browse the DraftKings promo code page for current offers.