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Colorado Rockies +180, o/u 10 at Boston Red Sox, World Series game 2, 8:30 pm Eastern Thursday, Fox TV
by Zman of Predictem.com
The Colorado Rockies will try to get their mojo back and working for them when they take on the Boston Red Sox in game 2 of the 2007 World Series Thursday night at Fenway Park.
Colorado had won 21 of its last 22 games, including seven straight in the National League playoffs, before getting bombed by Boston 13-1 in Wednesday night's Series opener. Starter Josh Beckett held the Rockies to one run on six hits through seven innings, while his Red Sox teammates pounded out 17 safeties.
Boston has now won its last four games – three vs. Cleveland in the ALCS and game 1 Wednesday night – by a cumulative score of 43-6.
It was hard to tell whether the eight-day layoff between their clinching the NL pennant and game 1 had much effect on the Rockies, or whether it was Beckett and a very potent Boston line-up that did Colorado in Wednesday night.
Colorado is 7-1 this post-season, the o/u 3-5, and have outscored opponents 35-29. The Red Sox are now 8-3 this playoff season, the o/u 6-3-2, and have outscored foes 83-37.
The Rockies went just 39-42 on the road during the regular season, while Boston went 51-30 at home.
The Rockies visited Boston back in June for a three-game interleague series, and took two of three games, outscoring the Sox 20-5. But none of that seemed to matter Wednesday night.
Colorado will send rookie right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (4-4, 4.28) to the hill for Thursday's game 2 against veteran Curt Schilling (9-8, 3.87) for the Sox. The Rockies are 9-9 in Jimenez' starts this season, the o/u 8-8, while Boston is 15-12 in Schilling's starts, the o/u 13-13.
Jimenez has started twice thus far this playoff season, allowing two ER on eight walks and eight hits in 11 1/3 IP. And the Rocks have won both those games.
On the other side, Schilling has started three games this playoff season, giving up seven ER and 22 baserunners in 18 2/3 IP. The Red Sox won two of those three games.
Schilling started once in that June interleague series vs. Colorado, and got bopped for five ER and 10 baserunners in just five IP of a 12-2 Boston loss. Jimenez, on the other hand, has never pitched against the Red Sox.
Colorado ranked third in the league with a .354 team OBP this season and averaged 5.3 runs per game, while the Red Sox ranked second with their .362 team OBP and averaged 5.4 RPG.
The Rockies bullpen, after a rough outing Wednesday night, has now allowed 12 ER and 35 baserunners in 32 IP so far this post-season, while the Boston pen has given up 12 ER and 37 baserunners over 31 1/3 IP.
The o/u went 82-74 in Colorado games during the regular season, and 75-84 in Red Sox games. The totals also went 42-34 at Fenway Park, where games averaged 10.2 runs per.
Boston opened as A -180 chalk at most sportsbooks for Thursday's game 2, with a total of 10. But early action has boosted the Sox to -200, with the Rockies getting +180.
Zman's Pick: Despite getting slaughtered by Beckett in game one, the Rockies are still the hottest team in baseball. We like the price on the Rock's tonight and can't pass up this great value. We're on Colorado at +180. Good luck!
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