For the first time in several seasons, the NL West is in for a proper battle to the top. The Los Angeles Dodgers currently lead the division by two games after sweeping the San Diego Padres over the weekend and are in for a bit of a respite with a four-game road series at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies.
The reigning World Series champs will hope to keep the good times rolling behind ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, while the Rockies will send “ace” Kyle Freeland to the rubber.
Let’s break down this matchup with some odds and lines at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies prediction, preview
As a Padres hot streak coincided with a second Los Angeles Angels sweep over their crosstown rivals, the Dodgers briefly fell into second in the division for the first time since late April. They responded with three of their most complete games of the season, and their new-look bullpen did just enough to earn a pair of one-run victories. Colorado is hot too, having won five of its last six games, and thanks to their recent form, the Rockies look likely to avoid finishing with the worst 162-game record in MLB history. Colorado’s new additions — third baseman Kyle Karros and first baseman Warming Bernabel — look fantastic, with Karros posting a .753 OPS in his first 10 games and Bernabel at .886 through his first 21.
Yamamoto is in need of a rebound performance. The Bizen, Japan native, who celebrated his 27th birthday yesterday, exhibited uncharacteristically brutal command in a 4.2-inning, six-run outing on August 11 that saw his ERA balloon from 2.51 to 2.84, issuing five walks. Still, it was just his second rough road outing of the season (he has a 2.28 ERA away from Dodger Stadium in 2025), so I expect him to bounce back at a venue where he pitched five shutout innings on June 25 before a rain delay ended his game early. The Rockies have walked at the league’s second-lowest rate this season, so they’re not well-suited to take advantage of his biggest weakness.
Freeland, meanwhile, is the only Colorado pitcher who’s made more than six starts this season and recorded positive WAR. That doesn’t mean he’s been great — his 5.18 ERA is the third-worst mark of his career and his pitching run value sits in just the fifth percentile league-wide — but at least he’s coming off of a 7.1-inning, shutout performance against the St. Louis Cardinals last Tuesday. Discounting games against the Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best records in their respective leagues, the last time Freeland gave up more than four earned runs was May 8. I doubt that’ll change against an offense that has been merely the league’s ninth-best since the All-Star break and has posted just a .651 OPS in the four games since Max Muncy went back on the injured list.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 11 (-101)
Though both of these teams have had top-10 offenses across the second half of the season and Coors Field is the league’s most hitter-friendly venue, Yamamoto has given up just six earned runs across 42.1 innings (1.28 ERA) in seven starts following a loss.
Strong Lean: Yoshinobu Yamamoto O6.5 Strikeouts (+105)
Though Yamamoto has only recorded six K’s in each of his last two starts, he’s averaged 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings on six-plus days of rest, and the Rockies have struck out at the league’s second-highest clip. Though the additions of Karros and Warming Bernabel have helped Colorado’s contact numbers, seven strikeouts is still a low bar.
