Cubs vs. Rockies odds, prediction, time: 2023 MLB picks, Friday, Sep. 22 best bets from proven model
Wrigley Field hosts a National League matchup on Friday afternoon. The Chicago Cubs host the Colorado Rockies in the first game of a weekend set. The teams also met earlier in September, with the Rockies taking two of three games in Denver. The Cubs enter the series with a 79-74 record and in a tie with the Marlins for the final NL Wild Card spot, while the Rockies aim to play spoiler at 56-96 in 2023.
First pitch is at 2:20 p.m. ET in Chicago. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists Chicago as a -218 favorite (risk $218 to win $100) on the money line, while the over/under, or total number of runs Vegas thinks will be scored, is 9 in the latest Rockies vs. Cubs odds. Before making any Cubs vs. Rockies picks, be sure to .
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every MLB game 10,000 times. It went 331-285 on top-rated MLB money-line picks (+357) over the past two seasons. It entered the penultimate full week of the 2023 MLB season 84-66 on all top-rated MLB picks this season and has excelled on top-rated run-line picks, going 15-5 (+653). Anybody following has seen big returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cubs vs. Rockies and just locked in its picks and MLB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several MLB betting lines and trends for Rockies vs. Cubs:
- Cubs vs. Rockies money line: Cubs -218, Rockies +180
- Cubs vs. Rockies over/under: 9 runs
- Cubs vs. Rockies run line: Cubs -1.5 (-108)
- COL: The Rockies are 21-37 in day games
- CHI: The Cubs are 35-34 in day games
- Cubs vs. Rockies picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back the Rockies
Colorado is facing a Chicago team that is not playing its best baseball. The Cubs are just 1-7 in the last eight games, and Friday's projected starting pitcher Jameson Taillon has a 5.27 ERA this season. Taillon has allowed 1.7 home runs per nine innings in 2023, and opponents have an .840 OPS against him at Wrigley Field. Taillon also allowed five runs (three earned) in a loss to Colorado earlier this month, and the Rockies have a budding standout in Nolan Jones.
The 25-year-old outfielder has 17 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 96 games this season, slugging .524 and posting an .898 OPS. Jones is also scalding hot, producing a .320/.420/.598 slash line in the last 33 games. From there, the Rockies do have intriguing numbers in a few key categories, headlined by the second-most doubles (282) and the third-most triples (30) in the National League in 2023. See which team to back here.
Why you should back the Cubs
Chicago is scuffling on the whole, but a visit from Colorado could cure the team's ills. The Cubs are in the top three of the National League with 776 runs scored this season, and Chicago is firmly in the top five in myriad categories, including walks, batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. In September, Chicago has a team OPS of .797, and six different members of the Cubs have at least 19 home runs already this season.
This is also a friendly matchup for Chicago's offense, as Colorado starter Noah Davis has a 9.98 ERA in 2023 while allowing more than 1.7 home runs per nine innings. The Rockies are also in a deep slump away from Coors Field, posting a 22-56 record, and Taillon has been notably better lately. While his season-long numbers are not fantastic, Taillon has a 3.86 ERA in his last 13 starts and a 2.45 ERA in his last two outings. He will also face a Rockies lineup that is in the bottom three of the National League in on-base percentage (.310), strikeouts (1,437), home runs (146 and stolen bases (68) so far in 2023. See which team to back here.
How to make Cubs vs. Rockies picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 11.1 combined runs. It also says one side of the money line has all of the value. You can only get the model's MLB picks at SportsLine.
