Colorado Rockies vs Chi. Cubs Cubs Picks and Predictions September 13th 2024

Chicago comes into the game with a record of 75-71 and they are 2nd in the NL Central, while the Rockies are 5th in the NL West with an overall record of 55-92. Javier Assad is starting for the Cubs, and the Rockies are going with Austin Gomber.

The money line odds have the Cubs at -144 compared to the Rockies at +121, and the over/under line is currently at 11 runs. This NL matchup is set for 8:40 PM ET from Coors Field in Denver, and MARQ will be televising this one.

Chicago vs. Colorado Key Information

• Teams: Cubs at Rockies
• Where: Coors Field Denver
• Date: Friday, September 13th
• Betting Odds CHC -144 | COL +121 O/U 11

The Cubs Can Win If…

Right-hander Javier Assad gets the start for the Cubs today as he faces the Rockies on the road. He has made 26 starts this season and has a record of 7-5 with a 3.14 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .240 this season, and he has a WHIP of 1.34. One of his six quality starts came on the road, and he has a record of 4-3 with a 4.31 ERA away from home. In his last outing, Assad took the loss, giving up one earned run in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

For the season, the Cubs are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 5.1 runs per game. As a team, the Cubs are batting .240, and their team on-base percentage of .315 is 11th in the league.

Over his last six games, Cody Bellinger has gone 6/20 with two homers and six RBIs. For the season, Bellinger is batting just .224. Seiya Suzuki has been a good power threat for the Cubs this season, as he is 2nd on the team with 20 homers and is batting .274. Ian Happ leads the team with 81 RBIs and has 23 homers.

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• The Cubs are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Cubs are 3-2 vs. the run line.
• Chicago has an over/under record of 6-4 in their last ten games.
• The Cubs have an average of 5.2 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Cubs are 8-2
• Looking back across the Cubs last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• Chicago has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Cubs have averaged 9.3 runs per game on offense

The Rockies Can Win If…

Austin Gomber will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in eight innings of work. In that outing vs. the Braves, he only gave up five hits and didn’t allow a homer. Looking back further, Gomber had given up a homer in three straight outings before that start. His record for the season is 5-10, and his ERA is 4.50. Out of his 27 starts, Gomber has 11 quality starts and is averaging 6.39 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed 27 homers. Per nine innings, Gomber is giving up just 2.13 walks.

So far this season, the Rockies are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. However, they have been much better at home, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .242, which is 13th in the league, and have the 15th most home runs in the league. One of the things that has hurt their offense is that they are 29th in the league in strikeouts.

Michael Toglia comes into the game as the Rockies’ leader in home runs, but he is batting just .217 for the season and has gone 8/36 in his last 10 games. Both Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle are batting .266 for the season, with Doyle leading the team with 67 RBIs. Tovar and Doyle are also 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in home runs.

• The Rockies are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Rockies are 2-3 vs. the run line.
• Colorado has an over/under record of 2-8 in their last ten games.
• The Rockies have an average of 2.8 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Rockies are 4-6
• Looking back across the Rockies last five games as the favorite, they are 1-4
• Colorado has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Rockies have averaged 2.5 runs per game on offense

The Lean

For a money-line pick, our lean would be to take the Cubs to come out on top. And as for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the under, as this is projected to be the 7th lowest-scoring game of the day. This one has our 3rd highest combined strikeout projection, and between the two starters, we have Javier Assad finishing with more strikeouts than Austin Gomber for the Rockies.

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Cubs Can’t Afford to Slip in Crucial Series Against the Rockies

The Chicago Cubs are about to face a critical moment in their 2023 season. They’re heading to Denver for a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies, and with only 16 games left, every one of them counts. The Cubs are currently five games behind the New York Mets in the race for the final National League wild-card spot, so there’s zero room for error. This series is their opportunity to stay in the playoff hunt—but they simply can’t afford any slip-ups.

Javier Assad to Start for Cubs

On Friday, the Cubs are turning to right-hander Javier Assad (7-5, 3.14 ERA) to kick off the series. Assad has been solid for Chicago, especially during the second half of the season. Even though he took a tough-luck loss against the New York Yankees in his last outing—where he allowed only two runs (one earned) over 5 2/3 innings—he’s been a dependable arm. In his last four starts, he’s averaging six innings, a big deal when the Cubs need some stability in this final push.

Assad is no stranger to the Rockies either. Earlier this season, he pitched six scoreless innings against Colorado, helping the Cubs secure a win. His overall career numbers against the Rockies (2-1, 4.70 ERA in four appearances) show that he’s capable of handling their lineup—even in the hitter-friendly Coors Field. The Cubs need him to bring that same energy and command to the mound in this crucial series.

Cubs’ Playoff Hopes Hang in the Balance

At 75-71, the Cubs have been one of the stronger teams in the second half of the season, posting a 28-20 record since the All-Star break. But even with this momentum, they’re still on the outside looking in for the playoffs. With teams like the Mets and Braves ahead of them in the wild-card standings, they can’t afford any stumbles.

They showed resilience earlier in the week by taking two out of three games from the Dodgers, but letting the final game slip away in a 10-8 loss left them frustrated. As Kyle Hendricks, who’s scheduled to pitch on Sunday, put it, “We know we’ve got to pile up some wins… It’s one day at a time. You can’t win three or four games in one day.” That “one game at a time” mentality is exactly what the Cubs need as they prepare to face a Rockies team that’s been tough to beat at home.

Rockies’ Wild Card Spoiler Potential with Austin Gomber

Now, the Colorado Rockies (55-92) have been out of the playoff picture for a while, but that doesn’t mean they’re not making life difficult for other teams. They’ve won 17 of their last 31 home games, and recently took two out of three from the Milwaukee Brewers—another team with playoff ambitions. Even on Thursday, the Rockies managed to edge out a 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers, using a small-ball approach that’s been working for them lately.

The Rockies will send Austin Gomber (5-10, 4.50 ERA) to the mound on Friday, just coming off paternity leave after welcoming a baby girl into the world. Gomber had a standout performance earlier this month, holding the powerhouse Atlanta Braves to just one run over eight innings. He’s had less luck against the Cubs, with an 0-2 record and a 6.62 ERA in his career, but he’s riding high after that recent stellar game against Atlanta. With the Rockies playing spoiler, Gomber could be a serious obstacle for the Cubs.

Rockies Embracing the Spoiler Role

Even though they’re not in the playoff mix, the Rockies have been thriving as underdogs. Their recent home record (17 wins in 31 games) should make the Cubs uneasy. Colorado’s offense has shifted its focus recently, leaning less on home runs and more on manufacturing runs through situational hitting—as they did in their win over Detroit, where they used a mix of singles, productive outs, and even a passed ball to get ahead in the ninth inning.

Michael Toglia, their power-hitting first baseman with 23 homers, summed up the team’s current approach well: “Home runs are the most efficient way to score in this game… That doesn’t mean you need to be selling out for homers every time.” The Rockies know how to grind out wins lately, and if their pitching, led by Gomber, can deliver, they could definitely give the Cubs a tough time.

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Cubs Can’t Afford Any Slip-Ups

For the Cubs, there’s just no margin for error in this series. Even though the Rockies are well under .500, they’ve shown they can hang with tough teams, particularly at home. The altitude of Coors Field is notorious for making life difficult for visiting pitchers, so Javier Assad will need to be on point—and the Cubs’ offense has to step up in support.

Chicago has already shown that it can compete with top-tier teams, like in its series against the Dodgers, but the stakes are high now. Losing a series to the Rockies could seriously damage their postseason hopes, leaving them with little time to recover. It’s going to take a total team effort, but they’ve got the talent to pull it off.

Key Takeaways

• The Cubs are currently five games behind the New York Mets in the wild-card race with just 16 games to go.
• Javier Assad will be starting for the Cubs, aiming to build on his recent strong outings.
• The Rockies have been playing well at home and will send Austin Gomber to the mound fresh off a dominant performance against the Braves.
• This is a must-win series for Chicago if they want to stay in the wild-card race, while Colorado will look to spoil those hopes.

Conclusion

The Chicago Cubs are nearing the final stretch of their playoff push, and they simply can’t afford to falter now—especially against a team like the Colorado Rockies. Javier Assad’s performance on the mound, coupled with the Cubs’ offense, will be crucial to securing these wins. On the other hand, the Rockies have embraced their role as a spoiler and are motivated to make life difficult for playoff hopefuls. With everything on the line, this series promises to be a nail-biter.