MLB Free Pick of the Day for Monday, August 19

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By: Al Walsh – Follow him on  Twitter @14AdotWalsh

* 2019 MLB Record: 211-154-10 (58%) *

SpreadKnowledge is going with a new format for our free article/mailer from here on out. We’ve teamed up with Covers and started posting our picks to their site — For our highest-rated picks, you can sign up here or at SpreadKnowledge.com.

In order to get access to those same picks that were once in this space, sign up at the links above. Click on the Covers link above to see the proof of just how well things have been going lately. Also, read the article they posted where we’re mentioned!

We’ll be posting one pick here in this space each day for free. Know that it does have a high value, but it just won’t be the highest-rated one from the SK system. Continue to follow us along in this journey, because there are plenty of good things on the way!

[9:40 p.m. EST] Colorado Rockies at Arizona D-Backs (1.5-run line: -102)
COL: Chi Chi Rodriguez – R (0-4, 6.57 ERA/1.78 WHIP)
ARZ: Zac Gallen – R (2-3, 2.58 ERA/1.26 WHIP)

The SpreadKnowledge MLB Free Pick of the Day comes to us from the Diamondbacks-Rockies game. We’re taking the D-Backs on the 1.5-run line, saving a little more than $100 by taking them on the moneyline.

Vegas already put a stamp on this game, giving the Rockies a -0.4 IRT (implied run total) decrease, which is tied for the highest on today’s slate.

Zac Gallen is the key here. Granted, he did allow the most hits (9) in a start of his young MLB career against this same Rockies team, but that game was played at Coors Field – you have to take those performances with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, Gallen only allowed two runs and Arizona walked away with the 9-3 victory.

Whether it’s been the D-Backs or Rays that Gallen has pitched for this season, we’ve been on his side more often than not. In nine starts this season, Gallen has allowed more than two runs only once this season.

Gallen should benefit from facing a Rockies team that has a below-average .304 weighted on-base average against right-handed pitching over the last 21 days.

Chi Chi Gonzalez may have a fun name to say, but his pitching skills don’t live up to that level of excitement. He won’t last too long into this start before we see the Rockies’ bullpen, and that’s just good news all around for the D-Backs. In fact, the Rockies have lost every single one of Gonzalez’s starts this season, all of them coming by two runs or more.

All in all, we’ve got a huge mismatch of starting pitchers here and that’ll lead us to cover the run-line in this one.

* Final Score Prediction * Arizona Diamondbacks: 6 – Colorado Rockies: 2