Ricky Dimon
The week in Major League Baseball continues with a full 15-game slate on Wednesday. It includes Brewers vs Blue Jays, Mariners vs Guardians, Tigers vs Royals and Diamondbacks vs Dodgers. The YRFI/NRFI market is extremely popular in baseball betting. After all, you don’t have to sit around for 3 hours to see if your wager hits; the satisfaction (or in some cases disappointment) is immediate. It all comes down to the first inning. Here are my MLB YRFI/NRFI best bets for Friday, August 29. Be sure to also check out our expert MLB picks for EVERY GAME today.
YRFI/NRFI best bet: Phillies vs Braves — YRFI (-115)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The Phillies humiliated the Braves 19-4 in the series opener between these 2 National League East rivals on Thursday. Kyle Schwarber hit not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 home runs. Philadelphia hit 7 homers in total and answered Atlanta’s 3-run first inning with 5 in the bottom of the frame.
Another immediate onslaught can be expected with Bryce Elder on the mound for Atlanta. The right-hander is sporting a ridiculous 6.12 ERA and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is a horrible 96-to-45 through 117.2 innings. Leadoff batter Trea Turner is 3-for-7 lifetime against Elder with a home run and a double, so the visitors could be set up for success right away. The Braves don’t have quite as good of a chance to score off Ranger Suarez in the bottom of the first, but the southpaw has pitched to an unspectacular 4.45 ERA in the month of August. Moreover, Atlanta has seen him a million times and familiarity generally favors the hitters.
YRFI/NRFI best bet: Orioles vs Giants — NRFI (-130)
Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.
The Orioles are the fourth-worst team in all of baseball at scoring runs in the first inning, doing so in just 25.4 percent of their games. They just got swept by Boston in a 4-game set and did not cross the plate a single time in the opening frame. In fact, Baltimore scored a grand total of 7 run in the entire series. Now the O’s have to face San Francisc’s Robbie Ray, who is 10-6 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. The left-hander is sporting a 2.93 ERA in the month of August, during which he has allowed a first-inning run just once in his last 4 starts.
Although the Giants may be somewhat more dangerous right off the bat, their 29.1 YRFI percentage is nothing special. Orioles starter Dean Kremer should have a good chance of limiting his opponent’s early damage. The right-hander has surrendered a first-inning run only twice in his last 10 appearances. San Francisco cleanup hitter Matt Chapman is 2-for-17 lifetime against Kremer. It’s a tough recipe to score immediately when your #4 hitter is close to hopeless.
