Ricky Dimon
The week in Major League Baseball continues with a full 15-game schedule on Saturday. It includes Phillies vs Yankees, Blue Jays vs Tigers, Dodgers vs Red Sox, Padres vs Cardinals and Mets vs Giants. 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.
I have been in fine form so far this season, with a 52-40-2 record on best bets while going 4-for-9 on Same Game Parlays at +481, +632, +439 and +600 odds and 11-9 on YRFI/NRFI plays.
Here are my favorite YRFI/NRFI bets for Saturday, and also be sure to check out all of our MLB picks.
Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox: YRFI (-122)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Both Chicago offenses have impressed in the first inning this season. The Cubs have scored a run in the opening frame 31.4 percent of the time in 2025; good for eighth best in the league; the White Sox are not too far behind at 30.1 percent, which ranks them #11 in that department.
The pitching matchup is such that each lineup could be in line for immediate success once again on Saturday. For the Cubs, Cade Horton (3-3, 4.04 ERA) has allowed at least 4 runs in 3 consecutive road starts, including 7 at Houston on June 27. Aaron Civale of the White Sox is 2-6 with 4.76 ERA and a dreadful 42-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 58.2 innings of work. These 2 in-city rivals combined for 17 runs in the series opener (3 in the first inning), 1 day after the Sox and Tampa Bay Rays combined for 20 runs in their series finale. Each side should have a good chance to cross the plate right away in this one.
Cleveland Guardians vs Kansas City Royals: NRFI (-113)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
I have faith in both Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee and Kansas City’s Kris Bubic working a clean first frame on Saturday. Bibee has been solid in his last 2 starts, giving up just 5 earned runs across 12.2 innings. The right-hander has gotten though the first inning unscathed in 4 of his last 5 appearances. Bubic comes in with a 2.38 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 115-to-35 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 113.2 innings. The southpaw has also surrendered a first-inning run only 1 of his last 5 outings.
Neither lineup specializes in early production. The Guardians rank $27 in MLB with a first-inning run percentage of 24.5; the Royals are #15 at 28.2. Kansas City is even worse at home, putting at least 1 run on the board right away a mere 24.0 percent of the time. Both of these pitchers have every reason to start fast on Wednesday.
