Colorado Rockies vs. St. Louis Cardinals Odds, Analysis, MLB Betting Pick

The Colorado Rockies (58-42) will try to extend their winning streak to three games versus the St. Louis Cardinals (47-51) as road underdogs at the sportsbooks for Monday's series opener.

The Rockies are also hoping to continue their push for a wild-card spot in the National League while the Cardinals are back home after dropping two of three to the Chicago Cubs to wrap up a 10-game road trip.

Betting line: The Cardinals opened as -131 favorites (wager $131 to win $100); the total is at nine runs, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.

Why the Rockies can pay on the MLB lines

Colorado will send righty Antonio Senzatela (10-3, 4.67 ERA) to the mound for his 17th start in 20 appearances after earning a victory against the San Diego Padres on July 18.

Senzatela allowed three earned runs and four hits in five innings with three walks and two strikeouts following his call-up from Triple-A Albuquerque. It marked his first MLB start since June 22, and the rookie is viewed as a key cog in the rotation as the Rockies attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Why the Cardinals can pay on the MLB lines

St. Louis starter Mike Leake (6-8, 3.39) has been one of baseball's biggest tough-luck pitchers this season. While that does not appear promising here in this spot, Leake has been much better than Senzatela despite winning four fewer games. The 29-year-old veteran is just 2-5 in 10 outings at home, but his ERA is very respectable at 3.38.

The Cardinals have won two of his last three home starts, and they have a winning record at Busch Stadium overall (26-24) even though they have been struggling for the most part.

Smart betting pick

Colorado has had the benefit of playing the past six meetings at Coors Field, going 3-3 in those games. Prior to that, St. Louis went 5-2 in the series, with all of the games played at Busch.

In addition, the Cards have won eight of the last 10 head-to-head matchups at home, and they should be highly motivated to get back on track in front of their fans for the first time since before the All-Star break. Look for St. Louis to end its skid with a big win over the Rockies.

MLB betting trends

Colorado is 6-1 in its last seven games.

Colorado is 2-10 in its last 12 games on the road.

St. Louis is 1-4 in its last five games.

All MLB lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.