Three straight winning nights and a 79-64 record on the year will bring a smile to anyone’s face, so let’s keep the positive vibes flowing. There is nothing like a little Friday baseball coming out of the elements on the East Coast all the way to West Coast baseball into the night. There are some fantastic spots to target either starting pitching or just bad teams in general, as the NRFI/YRFI remains the best sweat in all of baseball. Let’s look at the top 3 best NRFI bets and keep cashing tickets.
Best YRFI/NRFI Bets Today: No Run First Inning Bets
Chicago White Sox at Minnesota Twins YRFI (-115)
Lance Lynn has certainly shown that his 16-strikeout performance last month was hardly a quick flash, but getting up to double-digit strikeouts is never an easy feat — especially for Lynn. Just one time since that game has the White Sox starter accomplished it, and bettors should expect a similar struggle tonight. His 27.7% strikeout rate includes a couple of double-digit nights but also carries some struggles. Lynn is getting hit — a .334 xwOBA and .451 xSLG are big examples of how teams can get to him. Expect the Twins to come out and work Lynn in the first, getting an early baserunner and ultimately a score. The Twins send Joe Ryan, who is absolutely dominant at times. The issue for him is how aggressive the White Sox are in the first inning, knowing it is their only chance to get to Ryan before he settles in for the night.
Kansas City Royals at New York Yankees YRFI (-125)
Check out today’s NRFI video on the OddsShopper YouTube page, where we compare what the Yankees are going through to a 40-year marriage. Notice the word “successful” was not put ahead of “marriage,” as you will have to find out the actual punchline on the video. The bottom line is that the Yankees have been hearing it from just about everyone, and this is the perfect time to snap back. The Royals send Alec Marsh, who is making just his fourth start this year. He comes off a monster home start that saw 11 strikeouts against the Rays, but he should regress immediately on the road against New York. The Bombers will start Clarke Schmidt who is at least good enough to hold this hapless Royals team scoreless in the opening frame. The Yankees are good for a couple of games where they explode, and this is a great spot to ignite that fire.
Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics NRFI (-130)
The lone NRFI/YRFI loss suffered last night came in Oakland, and we return to the scene of the crime — a misdemeanor, no doubt, that that can easily be corrected tonight. From one J.P. to another, the A’s have J.P. Sears starting — one of the few bright spots for this miserable Athletics team. They were beaten last night and will suffer another loss tonight, but Houston will take its time in this one like they did last night. That part of the inning we got right; it was the surprising run by Oakland that killed the bet. Do not expect that tonight while Framber Valdez is on the hill, coming in chest out with a 27.4% strikeout rate against a 6% walk rate. The A’s are a 27-win team for a reason, and you will experience it all tonight in the opening inning.
