MLB Betting - Dodgers, Rockies Battle For West

The UFC 102 fight card will be a closely contested battle the entire way through but that’s not going to be as exciting as tonight’s battle in the NL West. The Los Angeles Dodgers have nearly blown their seemingly insurmountable lead in the NL West and with another loss on Thursday, their lead will be trimmed down to just two games.

For the Colorado Rockies, they have been the frontrunners in the National League Wild Card but now it looks like they may be able to do even better. They have climbed back into the race in the West and would rather make the playoffs via that route opposed to the Wild Card. In either case, online betting cappers know that the Rockies are hot and are in good shape while the Dodgers are slipping down the slippery slope and need to wake up. Even if they cling to a playoff spot, their fans know they won’t do much once they get into October if they keep playing like this.

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Colorado Rockies
Vicente Padilla vs Jorge De La Rosa 

The Los Angeles Dodgers will put waiver-claim Vicente Padilla to work for the first time in their white and blue uniforms on Thursday as he takes the mound against Jorge De La Rosa. The Dodgers, desperate for starting pitching, picked up the struggling Padilla from the Texas Rangers, who didn’t need him given the emergence of so many young arms.

Padilla has been up and down this season, posting an ERA of 4.92 and a WHIP of 1.50. He should have an easier time pitching at Dodgers Stadium than at the Ballpark in Arlington, but he’s not much more than a back-end rotation starter - if even that.

Padilla is making $12 million and considering how he’s pitched recently, it’s no wonder the Rangers put him on waivers. Padilla has given up 19 earned runs in his last 29.2 innings pitched, which is an ERA of 5.86. His biggest issue over that span is the amount of home runs he’s given up. In those five starts, Padilla has given up seven home runs. He’s only allowed five home runs in his previous 13 starts. Not many people will be interested in putting Padilla and the Dodgers among their baseball picks until he shows that he can pitch better than that.

For De La Rosa, a baseball blog pointed this out earlier this week and baseball wagering cappers should realize how effective he’s been for the Rockies this year. De La Rosa may be just 12-8 with a 4.76 ERA but he’s now won 12 of his last 14 decisions. Since June 1^st, De La Rosa has had three bad starts where he’s allowed 20 earned runs in 20.1 innings pitched (8.96 ERA). In his other 12 starts, he has an ERA of 2.99 and an 11-0 record.

Stick with the Rockies as they bounce back on Thursday night and cut into the Dodgers lead once again.

Sports Betting System picks: Rockies