The Colorado Rockies are fighting an uphill battle to find any sort of rhythm as we drift deeper into the season. Having dropped 13 of their last 20 games, they are staring down the real threat of enduring another 100-loss campaign. They did grab a tight series victory against the Orioles earlier this week, capped off by Brett Sullivan’s walk-off single in the 11th inning on Wednesday. That win provided a brief sigh of relief for a tired roster, and they will try to carry that late-game momentum into tonight’s matchup at Coors Field, with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. MT.

The St. Louis Cardinals are hardly rolling into town with an aura of invincibility. Sitting right around the break-even mark in what has largely been a rebuilding year for their organization, they have lost six of their last ten contests, and dropped a tight, 3-2 decision to the Dodgers their last time out. Even with a 12-hit night and clean defense, St. Louis could not manufacture enough runs to cross the finish line, a recurring problem that has seen them drop recent series to both Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

The focus for Colorado tonight should be capitalizing early. The Cardinals have shown they can string hits together, so the Rockies need steady starting pitching to limit the traffic on the bases and clean defense to shut down scoring threats. Waiting around for late-inning heroics against a competitive National League opponent is a bad long-term investment; they have to force their opponents’ hand from the first inning.

The Breakdown

Tonight’s pitching matchup features Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner taking on Cardinals righty Andre Pallante. Feltner was scratched from his last scheduled start due to an illness, but he appeared in relief shortly after and is cleared to take the ball tonight with no restrictions. Over his last 42.2 innings of work, Feltner has struggled to get deep into games, averaging just 4.8 innings per start. He has been hit hard, as well, yielding a .341 opponent batting average, and his inability to miss bats has led to an inflated 8.02 ERA and a massive 2.02 WHIP over that stretch.

On the other side, Pallante is stepping back into the rotation after being sidelined since mid-August. Before that absence, across his previous 10 starts this season, he was a model of consistency for a thinned-out Cardinals rotation. He averaged nearly six innings per outing (5.9) while posting a solid 3.34 ERA. More importantly for a guy pitching at Coors Field tonight, Pallante has done an excellent job of keeping the ball in the yard, giving up just 0.2 home runs per nine innings over his last 59.1 frames.

The X-factor in this one will be how these offenses leverage their run-scoring windows. Over their last 10 games, the Cardinals have been producing, averaging 5.20 runs per contest. Meanwhile, the Rockies’ lineup has been noticeably quieter, generating just 3.80 runs per game over their own 10-game stretch, even though they hold a slight edge in batting average (.260 to St. Louis’ .259).

For the Rockies to pull out a victory, Feltner must find a way to limit the baserunners and string together a few clean innings to keep the bullpen rested. Offensively, Colorado cannot afford a quiet night. The lineup needs to be aggressive against Pallante early, looking to elevate his pitch count and force the Cardinals to turn to their relief corps.

Odds & Lines

  • Moneyline: St. Louis Cardinals (-126) / Colorado Rockies (+108)
  • Run Line: St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 (+115) / Colorado Rockies +1.5 (-137)
  • Over/Under: 11.5 (Over -102 / Under -119)

Our Pick

It’s tough to trust the Rockies tonight with Ryan Feltner on the mound. While Colorado’s lineup can occasionally put up crooked numbers at Coors Field, Feltner’s recent inability to pitch deep into games puts massive pressure on a Rockies relief corps that carries a shaky 4.70 bullpen ERA. On the flip side, Andre Pallante has consistently eaten innings for St. Louis and, crucially, suppresses home runs. Navigating the altitude in Denver requires exactly that skill set.

The Cardinals might be working through a slump of their own, but this is the exact kind of matchup they need to get right. Pallante’s steady hand gives them a clear advantage over the first half of the game, and St. Louis has shown they can generate run support against struggling pitching. Caesars has the moneyline at -126 for the visitors, which is a reasonable price to lay some juice and fade Colorado’s current rotational woes. If you are backing St. Louis in this spot, be sure to take advantage of a Caesars promo for new users.

Pick: St. Louis Cardinals ML (-126)

Player Prop Pick

Our look at the prop market tonight centers on Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy. We are targeting McCarthy to exceed 1.5 total bases, a line Caesars currently has set at -112 for the over.

The primary factor here is the platoon advantage against Cardinals starter Andre Pallante. While Pallante has been highly effective against right-handed batters this season – holding them to a .618 OPS – he has been notably more vulnerable when facing left-handed swingers, yielding a .709 OPS and six home runs.

McCarthy is perfectly positioned to capitalize on that split. Over his last 10 games, he has been a reliable source of offense for Colorado, averaging 1.2 hits per game while posting a .455 slugging percentage. He has been a dynamic presence for this lineup lately, even narrowly missing a walk-off home run on Monday that was robbed at the wall by Colton Cowser. Additionally, McCarthy has a unusual track record in this specific divisional clash, having eclipsed 1.5 total bases in five consecutive games against the Cardinals. With strong recent form and a favorable handedness split, back McCarthy to find the gaps this evening.

For more updates and analysis on the team, check out the latest Rockies news.

Pick: Jake McCarthy Over 1.5 Total Bases (-112)

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Sportradar Content Studio contributed to this story.