PNC Park hosts afternoon baseball on Wednesday as the Pittsburgh Pirates welcome the Colorado Rockies to town for a National League battle that doubles as a series finale. The two teams are 1-1 in a three-game set, with the Pirates winning a 10-inning battle on Tuesday. Pittsburgh is 17-25 overall and Colorado is 20-22 this season.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Pirates as -135 money line favorites, and first pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. ET. The total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, or the Over-Under, is eight in the latest Pirates vs. Rockies odds. Before you make any MLB predictions with the Rockies vs. Pirates match-up, you need to see the MLB predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times and it is off to a strong start to the 2022 season. It's on a 41-30 roll on top-rated MLB money-line picks through seven weeks, returning almost $600 for $100 players. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Rockies vs. Pirates and locked in its MLB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several MLB odds and betting lines and trends for Pirates vs. Rockies:
- Rockies vs. Pirates money line: Pirates -135, Rockies +115
- Rockies vs. Pirates over-under: eight runs
- Rockies vs. Pirates run line: Pittsburgh -1.5 (+160)
- Rockies vs. Pirates tickets: See tickets at StubHub
- COL: The Rockies are 6-11 in road games
- PIT: The Pirates are 10-14 in home games
Why you should back the Rockies
Colorado should benefit from Pittsburgh's offensive shortcomings. The Pirates have the fewest runs (136) in the National League in 2022, and Pittsburgh is also dead-last with 57 doubles and a .349 slugging percentage. The Pirates are in the bottom three of the NL in hits (305), home runs (32), stolen bases (16), and on-base percentage (.294), with the Rockies bringing much more potency to the table.
Colorado leads the NL with a .260 batting average, and the Rockies are in the top five of the league in hits (370), on-base percentage (.324), slugging percentage (.400), and strikeout rate (20.5 percent). Colorado is also above-average in the NL with 193 runs, and Pittsburgh's bullpen is porous. The Pirates have a 4.34 ERA from their bullpen, a bottom-four mark in the NL, and Pittsburgh's relievers average only 8.15 strikeouts per nine innings this season.
Why you should back the Pirates
The Pirates have a strong run prevention projection in Wednesday afternoon's game. Most of that is traced to Thompson, who will take the ball to begin the day. Thompson has an outstanding 0.53 ERA in May, navigating 17 innings while allowing only nine hits and one earned run. Opponents have a .383 OPS against Thompson in May, illustrating his complete dominance, and Thompson has a 3.72 career ERA in the major leagues.
Pittsburgh will face a Colorado offense that is relatively pedestrian away from Coors Field, and the Rockies are below-average in walk rate. The Rockies also rank in the bottom five of Major League Baseball in stolen bases and, on the other side, the Pirates are in the top three of the National League in triples this season.
How to make Pirates vs. Rockies picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 9.1 runs. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Rockies vs. Pirates? And which side has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its MLB picks, and find out.