Betting tips and a Free pick for Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers

Some BetOnline patrons are of the belief that the Los Angeles Dodgers could well be in first place in the National League West right now if not for the problems they've had with the starting rotation. They have lost Trevor May for the season; Trevor Bauer's immediate future is in question because of legal difficulties, and Clayton Kershaw is on the mend in the midst of a minor injury to his forearm.

That's quite a bit of talent to lose so they are looking for people to fill spots in the rotation. They sincerely hope they can get this done with David Price, once one of the most feared and / or respected starters in the majors, who has been in the bullpen and has been asked to expand what he's doing to make starts.

He continued to work toward that on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, and now he'll start against them again; this time it will be at Dodger Stadium at 10:10 PM ET on Friday.

Price did well in that last start, going a strong four innings, striking out four Rockies and allowing just two hits. He has had his pitch count increased each time he has been out there in a starting role. So after 66 pitches versus the Rockies last time, we would expect he'll go longer on Friday night.

And BetOnline has him and the Dodgers posted as a sizable baseball betting favorite in the game:

Los Angeles Dodgers (Price) -265
Colorado Rockies (Gonzalez) +237

Over 9 Runs -102
Under 9 Runs -118

The Dodgers (59-39) are three games behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. They are the wild card front-runner, 2.5 games ahead of the San Diego Padres. As we write this, Bauer is about to have a hearing regarding a temporary restraining order that was granted a woman who made sexual assault allegations against him. He is on administrative leave from Major League Baseball until at least July 27.

So they could be without May AND Bauer. In steps Price, who won the Cy Young for Tampa Bay in 2012 and has won two ERA titles. Price has definitely had his moments in post-season play as well; if you recall, he came in as a rookie thropwing darts for the Rays in the 2008 playoffs and World Series. He is 4-0 with a 3.12 ERA for Los Angeles this year, chiefly in that kind of relief role.

Colorado has the worst road record in the big leagues, going 9-34 and being outscored by 99 runs. That's a 2.3-run negative margin per game. They are hitting .204 and slugging .305 as the visitor. Their OPS is 215 points less when away from Coors Field. Their pitching staff also has a 5.25 ERA on the road.

If you want to keep Price in the equation and leave the Dodgers' bullpen out of it, you may want to consider the five-inning play. Still, the Dodgers are -260 in that prop, so you might want to consider L.A. to be ahead (minus-1/2 run) at the end of five innings, for which you will lay -165.

There are props galore for your wagering pleasure at BetOnline, where they also let you take a few swings while the game is in progress with Live Betting...... Take this opportunity to get on board. All you've got to do is make a deposit using your credit card or Bitcoin and you're all set!