Rockies to Make a Move, Face Reds in Cincinnati

BetUS MLB Betting Odds: Cincinnati -145, Colorado +125; Total 8.5

The Cincinnati Reds (50-53) in an NL contest that is scheduled to start at 7:10 PM ET on the green grass of Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park.

Each team sends its respective ace to the mound, as Aaron Cook of Colorado (12-6, 3.58 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Edinson Volquez (12-2, 2.53 ERA) of the Reds.

At BetUS online sportsbook, Cincinnati is listed as a -145 favorite (Colorado is +125), with a total of 8.5 runs (the Under is -120, while the Over is even money).

Here are some of the MLB Baseball betting trends as they relate to this sports wagering matchup:

* COL has won six of its last seven games

* COL has played seven of its last ten games UNDER the total

* COL has lost 11 of its last 13 road games

* CIN has won four of its last six games

* CIN has won eight of its last 11 home games

In the HEAD-TO-HEAD sports betting trends:

* COL has won four of the last six meetings

* Four of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total

* CIN has won 10 of the last 12 meetings as the home team

* Six of the last nine meetings in Cincinnati have gone OVER the total

Colorado has maneuvered itself to where it is just six games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, who lead the National League West with a sub-.500 record (50-51). And remember that the Rockies come on like gangbusters last season to seize a playoff spot. They won the last two games of their series out in Los Angeles, including a 5-3 victory on Wednesday. And they have picked up on offense, scoring 43 runs in the last five games.

Cincinnati actually has a better record than Colorado, but is farther behind in their division (the NL Central) because the San Diego, including a 9-5 win on Wednesday, behind a grand slam by Adam Dunn.

Aaron Cook has been Colorado's best starting pitcher all season, and he's going to need to keep producing if this team is to make a run at the division crown. Cook got blasted out by Pirates on July 20. The Rockies won seven of Cook's first eight starts, but all too often they have not produced offensively for him.

Edinson Volquez has never pitched against Colorado. He started like a house afire, yielding one run or less in each of his first eight starts. In his last eight starts, he's allowed one run or less only once. Last time out, he allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings against the Mets. One of the things he has struggled with a bit with control, giving up 59 walks in 122-2/3 innings. His last four starts, and six of his last eight, have gone over the total.

We admire the way Colorado has awakened with the bats lately, but the fact is that the Rockies have not scored many runs on the road, ranking 16th and last in the National League with 3.5 runs per contest. That is an obvious reason why they are 14-36 (28%) away from home. So at this price it is worth it to go with one of the bona fide front-runners for the NL's Cy Young award. That's the Reds, the -145 favorite in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.