The Rockies snapped a three-game losing streak with a 10-4 win against the Pirates on Wednesday night. Now, they’ll look to take the series.

This is an early afternoon affair, with first pitch expected at 12:35 p.m. ET. With that in mind, I won’t waste any more of anyone’s precious time.

Can Colorado win its first series this month? Can Pittsburgh bounce-back at home? Let’s preview this National League tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.

Rockies at Pirates prediction, preview

It’s weird to be talking about a rising young pitching star, and not be referencing someone on the Pirates’ loaded staff. No, we’re discussing Chase Dollander, the former ninth-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Dollander had the classic Coors experience in his rookie campaign in 2025, pitching to a ghastly 9.98 ERA in his 46.0 innings in the altitude. Still, it was always clear that the RHP had tantalizing raw stuff. In 2026, Dollander’s showcased 98th percentile average fastball velocity (98.7). He’s also managed an 86th percentile ground ball rate (53.1%), a trait that just might be the most essentially way to survive one’s tenure with the Rockies. The results have been equally impressive. Working primarily as a “bulk” option, Dollander’s pitched to a 3.35 ERA and a 3.42 xERA across 43.0 innings. The 24-year-old seems to be taking the leap.

Speaking of bulk guys, Carmen Mlodzinski will work behind an opener on Thursday afternoon — something that the RHP is quite used to. Mlodzinski has yo-yoed back and forth between the Pirates’ rotation and bullpen the past four seasons, yet on the whole, the 27-year-old has usually produced in any role he’s been given, as he owns a career 3.47 ERA and 3.36 FIP. Specific to 2026, Mlodzinski’s simply been a little unlucky. I won’t point too much towards an inflated .361 BABIP, as Mlodzinski’s second percentile opponent hard hit rate (53.3%) is not helping matters, but a 68.2% strand rate is quite low, especially for someone striking out over a batter per inning. In any case, I imagine that his ERA will soon look a little more like his sterling 2.83 FIP.

A matchup with the Rockies away from Colorado should be a boost, as well. Overall, the team has managed just an 83 wRC+ with an NL-high 27.1% strikeout rate across the past two weeks — and that’s including a patch of games back in Denver. Conversely, the Pirates have been swinging the bats exceedingly well to begin the month of May. Since the calendar flipped, Pittsburgh leads the league in OBP (.363) and sits second in wRC+ (124). The Pirates also boast the National League’s lowest strikeout rate in this span of time (19.1%). Not too shabby at all.

Rockies at Pirates pick, best bet

Best Bet: Under 7.5 (-102)

For as well as the Pirates are hitting lately, I expect the presence of Chase Dollander to keep the score somewhat in check. On the other side, the combo of Mason Montgomery and Carmen Mlodzinski should work wonders against a club that ranks 29th in expected wOBA (.305).