Tonight’s meeting between the Phillies and Rockies, the beginning and end of a one-game series, may seem like an inconvenience to both teams, but both should be happy they are actually playing this makeup game from a May rainout.

Often times these rescheduled affairs for September are never made up when two teams are out of contention, but both Colorado and especially Philadelphia are firmly entrenched in the playoff discussion.

First pitched is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET tonight in Colorado.

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The Phillies are especially happy to see this matchup. They own a 5-1 record against Colorado this season including a four-game sweep in Philadelphia in late July. Beyond that the Phillies are 17-4 against Colorado in their last 21 games against them.

MLB Predictions: Pitching Matchup
Joe Blanton (RHP, 6-6, 5.15 ERA) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (RHP, 7-9, 3.79 ERA)

At first glance Blanton, with his inflated ERA, and Chacin, the rookie with the losing record, look like the weak links on their respective pitching staffs. But both have pitched like anything but fourth and fifth starters lately.

Blanton has been a different pitcher in the second half of the season. He is 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in nine starts since the all-star break. Blanton has faced Colorado one time in his career. He is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA against the Rockies.

Chacin is 7-9, but he has one of the better ERAs on the team and he has looked dominant at times in his last two starts, pitching 14 2/3 innings and striking out 16 while only allowing one run. The rookie has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts.

After rejoining the rotation on Aug. 17, Chacin had a rough start in yielding five runs in five innings, but he has bounced back and appears to have regained the form he had in June and July. Blanton has a better track record than Chacin, having strung together seven quality starts since the middle of July.

Phillies vs. Rockies Betting Odds
The Rockies enter as favorites listed at -135 with the Phillies priced at +115. The total is set at 9. Odds are courtesy of Sportsbook.com.

Phillies vs. Rockies Betting Trends
Phillies are 6-0 in their last six games as a road underdog
Phillies are 8-1 in their last nine games as an underdog
Phillies are 7-1 in their last eight road games
Phillies are 4-1 in Blanton’s last five starts but just 1-4 in his last five road starts
Rockies are 6-0 in their last six games as a home underdog
Rockies are 5-1 in their last six games vs. a right-handed starter
Phillies are 5-1 in the last six meetings in Colorado
Phillies are 17-4 in the last 21 meetings between the two teams
The ‘over’ is 8-1 in the last nine meetings between the two teams in Coors Field

Phillies vs. Rockies Betting Predictions and Baseball Picks
The Phillies have won five of their last six and the only thing more impressive than that is that all the games came on the road. Philadelphia is a rejuvenated team since a four-game sweep at the hands of the Astros and Blanton is a rejuvenated starter.

The Rockies have been a tough out over the past month of baseball, but even at home they should not be favored in this situation. Runs will be limited and the game will likely stay ‘under,’ but the play here is Philadelphia.

Jason Sharpe is the newest member of Doc’s Sports Advisory Board, but he is not new to the sports betting scene, as he has made a living in Las Vegas for several years betting sports as a Wise Guy. For his baseball picks, he has scored 22 of 36 winning nights and is primed for more profitable situations on Thursday. If you are interested in baseball betting, this is one guy you don’t want to miss. Also, check Doc’s Sports homepage each day for exclusive baseball betting articles, current baseball lines and matchup reports to boot!