Rockies vs Cubs: Prediction, Odds & Preview (June 17)

The Rockies vs Cubs matchup on Tuesday, June 17 is one of the more lopsided games on the board, and the price says so: Chicago is a heavy home favorite at Wrigley Field, with first pitch slated for 8:05 p.m. ET. Colorado sends right-hander Ryan Feltner against the Cubs' Edward Cabrera, and the Rockies arrive without Mickey Moniak, their most productive bat, who is on the injured list. The interesting question is not who is favored but whether a favorite this large is actually priced correctly, and where the wind at Wrigley leaves the total. This preview walks through the odds, the one angle worth your attention, and how to make sure you are betting a number that beats the true odds rather than just backing the better team.

In Summary (TL;DR)

• Moneyline (as of this writing): Cubs around -190 to -200, Rockies around +160 to +172. Lines move, so confirm the current number before betting.
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 priced around +104, Rockies +1.5 around -126. Even as a clear favorite, laying a run and a half is far from automatic.
• Total: sitting around 9.5 to 10, with roughly even juice on either side depending on book and number.
• Pitchers: Ryan Feltner (RHP) for Colorado vs Edward Cabrera (RHP) for Chicago.
• The one angle: the total is the live read here. Strip the vig, compare each price to its true chance, and shop every book on the OddsShopper MLB odds screen.

Rockies vs Cubs: The Matchup

The shape of this game is set by two things: a large talent gap and a Colorado lineup that just lost its best hitter.

Colorado's offense, minus Moniak. Mickey Moniak has been the Rockies' most dangerous bat this season, and he is currently on the 10-day injured list with an ankle issue. Take the team's top OPS out of a road lineup that already leans heavily on Coors Field for its production, and Colorado's ceiling on a given night drops. Ryan Feltner has had an uneven year on the mound and gives the Rockies a back-of-rotation profile in a tough spot, on the road against a strong club.

Chicago at home. The Cubs counter with Edward Cabrera and the structural advantages of being the better roster playing in their own park. That is why the market has Chicago in the -190 to -200 range on the moneyline. A favorite that steep is the market signaling a wide talent gap, not a close call.

Put it together and the question is not whether to back the Cubs. It is whether two-out-of-three is the right number, and whether there is a cleaner way into this game than laying nearly two-to-one. A -200 favorite has to win 67 percent of the time just to break even on the moneyline, so the entire edge, if there is one, lives in whether Chicago's true win rate is higher than that, or in a market where the price has not fully caught up to the matchup.

Odds and Markets to Know

Here are the main markets for Rockies vs Cubs and what each one is really asking. All numbers are as of this writing and move constantly, so treat them as a snapshot and confirm the live board before you bet.

• Moneyline. Straight-up winner. Chicago is the favorite around -190 to -200, Colorado the underdog around +160 to +172. At that price the books are giving the Cubs a win chance in the mid-60s before the vig comes out. Your job is to decide whether their real chance clears it, because a great team at a bad number is still a bad bet.
• Run line. The 1.5-run spread. Cubs -1.5 (win by two or more) pays a small plus number around +104, which is the market's way of saying that even a heavy favorite winning by multiple runs is closer to a coin flip than a lock. Rockies +1.5 sits around -126. Laying the run and a half is how a lot of bettors try to get a better price than -200, but a one-run final is always live in baseball.
• Total. The combined runs line, sitting around 9.5 to 10 with roughly even juice. This is the most interesting market in the game, and the ballpark itself can tip it more than the matchup does (more on that below).
• First inning (NRFI) and First 5. No Runs First Inning is a yes-or-no on a scoreless opening frame, driven by the two starters and the top of each order. A First 5 bet grades on the starters only and removes the bullpens. If NRFI is new to you, our NRFI explainer breaks down how the bet and its juice work before you take a side.
• Key player props. Strikeout totals for Feltner and Cabrera, plus total-bases and home-run markets for the Cubs bats that fit the matchup, are where a lot of the sharpest single-game value tends to sit. For the full glossary of what each market means, see our MLB betting terms guide.

New to OddsShopper? It scans the major sportsbooks, strips the vig out of each market to a fair number, and flags which Rockies vs Cubs prices are actually in your favor, the exact work this preview is walking through, done for you in seconds across the moneyline, total, and every prop. You can try it free for 7 days, and code BASEBALL20 takes 20% off OddsShopper Pro if you subscribe: Start your free trial.

Expert picks for this game

These are real plays from OddsShopper experts you can follow on Tails:

• Amhboywonder on Tails (991-1020 graded record) likes Colorado Rockies (+166) — Moneyline. This takes Colorado straight up as a plus-money dog, the bet the preview sets up by warning that a great team at a bad number is still a bad bet. At +166 the Rockies only need to clear their implied chance now and then to pay.
• CharlieChip on Tails (30-30 graded record) likes Chicago Cubs (+105) — Spread. This lays the Cubs' -1.5 run line at plus money, right around the +104 the preview quotes. It asks the heavy favorite to win by two or more, which the market treats as closer to a coin flip than the moneyline does.
• Bank of Dennis on Tails (625-777 graded record) likes Colorado Rockies (+180) — Moneyline. Another straight-up look at the Rockies, here at a longer +180. Backing a road underdog at that price is a bet on single-game variance, so it pays only if Colorado's real chance beats the mid-30s the number implies.
• Bank of Dennis on Tails (625-777 graded record) likes Colorado Rockies (-118) — Spread. This is the Rockies' +1.5 cushion, priced near the -126 the preview quotes. It cashes as long as Colorado stays within a run, which the preview notes is always live in baseball even against a heavy favorite.

More pro plays on Rockies vs Cubs. Amhboywonder, CDR Betting, Conormacpicks, Gubabets, Jazzraz, King Sports, MOBBIN44 have premium pick(s) on this game. See their cards on Tails.

Follow Ben Rasa's full card on Tails. New to Tails? Code EAGLE15 takes 15% off your first week or month: Ben Rasa on Tails.

How to Bet Rockies vs Cubs

With a favorite this big, the moneyline is rarely where the value is, because the price has already swallowed the obvious edge. The total is the read worth your time, and it comes down to one variable most casual bettors skip.

The wind is the bet at Wrigley. No park in baseball swings between a launching pad and a pitcher's haven the way Wrigley Field does, and the difference is the wind off Lake Michigan. When it blows out toward the bleachers, balls that die at the warning track elsewhere leave the yard, and the run environment climbs, which is the case for the over. When it blows in, the park plays like a vacuum, fly balls hang up and get caught, and totals that looked low cash under. The single most useful thing you can do before betting this total is check the first-pitch wind direction and speed for tonight, because the same 9.5 can be a very different bet at 15 mph out than at 15 mph in. Treat the posted total as a starting point, then let the forecast tell you which side, if either, is mispriced.

Once the forecast gives you a lean, price it against a fair number. Say the wind is blowing in, the kind of night where the park suppresses scoring. With Feltner and Cabrera on the mound and Colorado missing Moniak, you might honestly estimate the run environment a bit under the posted 9.5 to 10. That is a real reason to lean under, but it only becomes a bet if the price is longer than your estimate. Convert the over and under prices to implied probabilities, knock out the vig, and fire only if your number beats the book's number. If the line has already moved to swallow the wind, the edge is gone.

Then shop the number. The same Rockies vs Cubs bet can pay a different price at different books, and that gap is free value because it is the identical outcome at a better payout. The OddsShopper MLB odds screen lines up every book's moneyline, run line, total, and props in one place so you always take the best available number. The Best Odds view does this comparison automatically, and OS Pro's Portfolio EV goes a step further: it devigs the market to a fair number and flags the side carrying value, so you are measuring against a fair price and not just one app's line. At roughly the cost of a coffee a day, that is the difference between picking a winner and finding a +EV bet.

Whatever you land on, size it to your edge. A thin lean on the total gets a smaller stake than a clear one, and a high-variance prop gets less than a straight side. And if the wind is neutral, the price already reflects the matchup, and nothing clears your bar tonight, there is nothing wrong with passing this game entirely. Not every matchup has a side worth betting, especially a lopsided one where the favorite is fully priced.

FAQ

Who is favored in Rockies vs Cubs on June 17? The Cubs are the home favorite, priced roughly -190 to -200 on the moneyline as of this writing, with the Rockies around +160 to +172.

Who are the starting pitchers? Colorado starts right-hander Ryan Feltner, and Chicago counters with right-hander Edward Cabrera. With Mickey Moniak on the injured list, Colorado is also down its most productive hitter, which weighs on its offensive ceiling.

What is the total for Rockies vs Cubs? The combined total is sitting around 9.5 to 10 as of this writing, with roughly even juice on either side depending on the book and the exact number.

What is the best bet for Rockies vs Cubs? No baseball game is a certainty, so treat any side as a probability rather than a given. With the Cubs fully priced on the moneyline, the total is the more interesting market. It only becomes a bet if the price beats your honest estimate of the run environment. Shop every market on the OddsShopper MLB odds screen and take a side only where the price genuinely beats your number.

Where can I find the best odds for this game? Compare every sportsbook's Rockies vs Cubs prices on the OddsShopper MLB odds screen, then let OS Pro flag which side has the edge so you are betting the best number on the board.

Bottom Line

Rockies vs Cubs on June 17 is a game the market has already sorted out at the top: Chicago is a steep home favorite, Colorado is on the road without Mickey Moniak, and the moneyline leaves little room. The live read is the total, where the wind off Lake Michigan does more to the number than either pitcher will. Weigh the conditions, then shop every book for the best price and size the bet to your edge. Bet only where it is legal in your state, play 21+, and keep it within your means.

Shop the best Rockies vs Cubs number across every book on the OddsShopper MLB odds screen, then let OS Pro's Best Odds and Portfolio EV surface the side priced for value once the vig comes out. Start with a free 7-day trial, then code BASEBALL20 takes 20% off OddsShopper Pro: Start your free trial.