by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Apr 15, 2022
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Venue: Coors Field, Denver, CO
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Rockies -120, Cubs +100
BetMGM: Rockies -120, Cubs +100
Caesars: Rockies -125, Cubs +105
Season record
Cubs: 4-2
Brewers: 4-2
We're fresh into this baseball season and of course it's AAA Sports jumping out to an 11-5-0 start in Major League Baseball over the course of the last week. We've seen some exciting games and some awesome moments, but what will happen as April continues for the better? Catch AAA's plays available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers.
Cubs - Brewers preview and analysis
Seiya Suzuki is now running for mayor of Chicago and for as long as he stays around, he will be forcefully given that title and the first thing he will do is bestow upon himself the title of the greatest Chicago Cubs player to ever live and the Cubs will win the World Series in his greatness.
Suzuki went 1-for-4, but he extended his hit streak to six games to begin his MLB career with an RBI double in the top of the first inning, and the Cubs took care of business against the red-hot Colorado Rockies in the first game of their series at Coors Field.
Game 2 of the set is on Friday in Denver, and we can likely expect more of the fun to happen when it comes to this series. Because who doesn’t like the thought of a Colorado team and Chicago team having fun during the early stages of the season?
Especially when a guy like Suzuki taking the world by storm early in the season. Suzuki drove in his 10th run of his early Cubs career with a deep double to center off Rockies starter Kyle Freeland. The Cubs chased the Colorado ace after 5.1 innings, while Justin Steele went 4.1 innings before giving up two runs to get chased. Chicago’s bullpen came in and got the job done.
"Didn't have good fastball command, so I had to rely on a lot of my off-speed stuff. And I got singled to death," Freeland said.
Getting singled to death is exactly what I said this past Valentine’s Day. I was sitting at the bar, wondering why in the world no one loved me, and I kept telling the bartender that after my sixth relationship that ended in less than two months that being “singled to death” was on my horizon. So me and Kyle Freeland are best friends. Shoutout to Kyle.
Frank Schwindel also kept a hot bat to start the season with a homer in that very same top of the first.
"I'll take him every day in my lineup," Schwindel said of the two-time Japan Central League batting champ. "He's just fun to be around. He's a great hitter and he's got a great eye, which I think is more impressive, adjusting to the pitching here."
Keegan Thompson got the win for the Cubs after 3.1 innings of relief to stop the bleeding.
Both teams got to 10 hits, but the Rockies couldn’t do any more after falling behind early. Bryant went 2-for-5 against his former team that he won a World Series and NL MVP with. C.J. Cron and Ryan MacMahon were the only two tasked with driving in Colorado’s runs.
"I want to do what I did there for another team," Bryant said, while noting how few players he knows from the Cubs' retooled roster. "I enjoyed my time in Chicago, but I don't know if it warrants a press conference every time I play them."
It might warrant a press conference if the Cubs keep beating the Rockies and they’re left asking Bryant how it feels to not get the opportunity to play with the mayor of Chicago and what could happen if he wins another World Series? Perhaps we can revisit this at the trade deadline, right?
Prediction
This pitching duel is going to be awesome between Marcus Stroman and German Marquez. While normally I’d take Stroman any day of the week no matter who the pitcher is, Marquez had a very strong season debut and I can envision he being the actual ace of the future. I think we’re going to get a rare low-scoring outing in Coors with both pitchers going far, and I like Colorado to bounce back. Rockies win 4-3
Betting trends
Cubs are 27-49 as an underdog the past three seasons when the ML is between +100 and +150.
Cubs are 14-30 the past three seasons as a road underdog when ML is between +100 and +150.
Rockies are 33-22 in the past three seasons as a favorite at -110 or higher.
Projected lineup
Cubs:
Rafael Ortega (L) DH
Frank Schwindel (R) 1B
Willson Contreras (R) C
Ian Happ (S) LF
Seiya Suzuki (R) RF
Jason Heyward (L) CF
Patrick Wisdom (R) 3B
Jonathan Villar (S) 2B
Nico Hoerner (R) SS
Rafael Ortega (L) DH
Frank Schwindel (R) 1B
Willson Contreras (R) C
Ian Happ (S) LF
Seiya Suzuki (R) RF
Jason Heyward (L) CF
Patrick Wisdom (R) 3B
Jonathan Villar (S) 2B
Nico Hoerner (R) SS
Rockies:
Connor Joe (R) LF
Charlie Blackmon (L) RF
Kris Bryant (R) DH
C.J. Cron (R) 1B
Brendan Rodgers (R) 2B
Randal Grichuk (R) CF
Elias Diaz (R) C
Jose Iglesias (R) SS
Garrett Hampson (R) 3B
Connor Joe (R) LF
Charlie Blackmon (L) RF
Kris Bryant (R) DH
C.J. Cron (R) 1B
Brendan Rodgers (R) 2B
Randal Grichuk (R) CF
Elias Diaz (R) C
Jose Iglesias (R) SS
Garrett Hampson (R) 3B
Starting pitchers
CHC: Marcus Stroman
COL: German Marquez
Statistical leaders
Cubs:
Batting average: Ian Happ -- .471
Hits: Ian Happ -- 8
Home runs: Seiya Suzuki -- 3
RBI: Seiya Suzuki -- 10
Wins: Four tied -- 1
Saves: David Robertson -- 2
ERA: Justin Steele -- 1.93
Rockies:
Batting average: Kris Bryant -- .360
Hits: Kris Bryant -- 9
Home runs: Two tied -- 2
RBI: C.J. Cron -- 6
Wins: Jhoulys Chacin -- 2
Saves: Daniel Bard -- 2
ERA: German Marquez -- 1.29
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
