The #NRFIGod Jesus Luzardo was the only thing that stopped us from sweeping our no run first inning bets yesterday. Words I never thought I’d say.
Monday turned out to be a 2-1 day by cashing two yes run first inning bets — the early Braves-Phillies game and Cubs-Rockies as the nightcap. If you missed the early game pick, they’re Twitter-only picks I give my followers as something extra for following along every day. So hit me with a follow over there on Twitter @nd_joyce.
With those two wins yesterday, we’re on a nice 4-1 run on YRFI/NRFI bets (and we just cashed a three-leg NFL parlay yesterday … you can get all my NFL picks on Twitter as well). Let’s keep this mini NRFI heater going with Tuesday’s MLB bets.
Best YRFI & NRFI Bets Today: Yes & No Run First Inning Bets
First-inning bets are some of the most enjoyable sweats in the MLB betting business. If you want to start making money on your NRFI and YRFI picks, OddsShopper has you covered. Check out our guide to NRFI and YRFI betting and come back each day for the best NRFI and YRFI bets — we post daily NRFI and YRFI articles, and our MLB bet shopping pages integrate data from industry-leading betting model to find NRFI and YRFI picks with positive expected value (+EV) each day. If you’re hungry for more than just the picks we post for free, sign up for OddsShopper Premium today — new users can get their first month for 70% off.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Baltimore Orioles First Inning Bet
You can’t see me right now, but I’m doing my Adam Wainwright dance. So you already know what that means.
We’re firing up the yes run first inning bet and not blinking. We cashed in on the YRFI in Wainwright’s last start, and we’re going to do so again tonight. Baltimore is a middle-of-the-pack first-inning offense overall. But at home? The O’s are the sixth-best offense in runs scored per first inning. With guys like Tony Taters (Anthony Santander) and Gunnar Henderson just ABUSING right-handed pitching, it could be an extremely early night for Wainwright. Let’s hope his night starts with about seven runs right off the bat.
The Cardinals have cashed YRFIs in six of their last seven games (either scoring or allowing a first-inning run). Tonight, they face John Means, who is making his first start since April of 2022 after having Tommy John surgery. The Cardinals don’t demolish left-handed pitching like one might think they do, but I still don’t dislike this spot. They’re No. 9 overall in runs per first inning, and facing a guy off injury in a good park for offense, it’s worth a look.
Best YRFI Bet Today: Cardinals-Orioles for -145 at Caesars Sportsbook
Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies First Inning Bet
We cashed in on this one last night, so why not go back to the well?
Chris Flexen takes the ball for the Rockies, which is always a boon for opposing hitters. Flexen might be 8-4 on NRFIs this season, but that’s a sham. He’s allowed 33 runs in 38 innings since joining the Rockies and 69 runs (… nice) in 80 total innings. He’s allowed seven homers while pitching limited innings in Coors, and this game total is a HEFTY 12. The Cubs might score 12 by themselves!
The Rockies scratched a run across in the first inning for us last night, which isn’t what we banked on. But hey, I ain’t too proud to accept a handout. In eight starts this season, Javier Assad is 6-2 on NRFIs, but he’s yet to pitch in Coors Field in his young career. The Rockies are 20 points better against righties (.253 average), and guys like Ryan McMahon and Nolan Jones can really mash the ball. While this is more of a play AGAINST Flexen, we’re never going to be upset about getting a team against a young pitcher in Coors, even if the Rockies are a middling first-inning offense.
Best YRFI Bet Today: Cubs-Rockies for -143 at BetRivers
Tuesday’s YRFI/NRFI Parlay
Yes, both of these yes run first inning bets are juiced toward the over, so bet them as singles on the books mentioned above to get the best value. However, DraftKings Sportsbook gave us a nice 50% profit boost on any MLB bet today, so we’re firing it up here to push this Cardinals-Orioles and Cubs-Rockies YRFI parlay all the way up to +255!
