Rockies vs Braves Preview: Braves Favored, Rockies Struggling

Braves Look to Build on 20-15 Home Record Against Rockies

The National League-leading Atlanta Braves are set for a four-game series with the NL West cellar-dwelling Colorado Rockies. The Rockies vs Braves preview favor host Atlanta to keep on rolling after winning eight of its last 10 games.

Can Colorado lefty Kyle Freeland get the Rockies off to a strong start in Thursday’s series opener?

The Rockies continue to be without infielders Charlie Blackmon, C.J. Cron and Brendan Rogers as well as outfielders Kris Bryant and Sean Bouchard.

With injuries to starting pitchers Kyle Wright and Max Fried, among others, 20-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver is set to make his second career start on Thursday.

When looking at the longest win streak in baseball, it wasn’t too long ago that Atlanta won five games in a row.

According to the MLB playoff odds, the Braves are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays at +550 for the best odds to win the World Series. The Rockies (+100000) are tied with Kansas City, Washington and Oakland for the longest odds to win the title.

Probable Starting Pitchers

• Thursday: Kyle Freeland (Rockies) vs AJ Smith-Shawver (Braves)
• Friday: Dinelson Lamet (Rockies) vs Jared Shuster (Braves)
• Saturday: Connor Seabold (Rockies) vs Bryce Elder (Braves)
• Sunday: Chase Anderson (Rockies) vs Charlie Morton (Braves)

Rockies Showing Signs of Life

The Colorado Rockies opened June with seven losses in nine games. However, that changed when Colorado won three straight one-run games before the short winning streak came to an end on Wednesday at the hands of the Boston Red Sox.

Nolan Jones hit the walk-off home run to beat the San Diego Padres. A bases-loaded walk and then an error was enough for the Rockies to edge Boston in 10 innings and the next day, it was Randal Grichuk’s two-run double in the 10th inning that was the big blow. Still, the Rockies vs Braves preview views the visiting Rockies as the heavy underdogs.

The total has gone under in four of Colorado’s last five games as well as in seven of the last nine road games.

Acuna Starting to Get Hot

Ronald Acuna Jr. had a home run in each of Atlanta’s games in a sweep of a doubleheader against Detroit on Wednesday.

He has six multi-hit games in the month of June with a .370 batting average, 11 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs, six stolen bases and 13 RBIs in 12 games in June.

Atlanta has won the last nine games when Acuna has at least two hits. He hit .360 against the Rockies in 2022. His presence is just one of the reasons why Atlanta is favored according to the Rockies vs Braves preview.

Four of Atlanta’s last five games finished over the total.

Who’s Hot

• Daniel Bard, Colorado Rockies P: Bard has allowed two hits and no runs with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings in his last four outings.
• Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves OF: Harris is hitting .452 with three doubles, three home runs, seven runs and eight RBIs over his last eight games.
• Joe Jiménez, Atlanta Braves P: Jiménez has allowed one hit and no runs with five strikeouts in five innings over his last four games.
• Nolan Jones, Colorado Rockies 1B: Jones is batting .364 with three doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs in June.

Who’s Not

• Matt Carasiti, Colorado Rockies P: Carasiti has allowed two hits and three runs in 1.1 innings over his last two appearances.
• Raisel Iglesias, Atlanta Braves P: Iglesias has surrendered eight hits and four runs over four innings in his last two appearances.
• Elejuris Montero, Colorado Rockies IF: Montero is 1-for-18 with seven strikeouts over the last six games.
• Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves 1B: Riley is 2-for-21 with five strikeouts over his last six games.

Rockies vs Braves Injury Update

The Rockies are expected to be without infielder Charlie Blackmon as well as pitchers Tyler Kinley and Antonio Senzatela until next month.

For Atlanta, relief pitcher Jesse Chavez is questionable for Thursday’s series opener.

Rockies vs Braves Betting Preview

Even with a 20-year-old rookie set to start the series opener, the Braves are priced at -245 to win on Thursday.

The Braves are 36-22 as a favorite this MLB season with the Rockies 26-35 as an underdog.

Atlanta has covered in just 11 of its first 35 home games.

The Braves have won six of the last seven meetings with Colorado. Five of the last nine games between the teams were one-run affairs.

Colorado had won three in a row in Atlanta before the Braves won the last two matchups. Colorado’s 13 road wins are the fewest in the National League.

Five of the last six games between Colorado and Atlanta finished under the total with a total of 13 runs scored in the last three meetings.

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