Ricky Dimon
The week in Major League Baseball continues with a full 15-game schedule on Wednesday. It’s a lineup that includes Rays vs Yankees, Mets vs Padres, Cubs vs Brewers and Dodgers vs Reds. 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. Let’s get into my favorite YRFI/NRFI bets for Wednesday, July 30, while you can also check out our MLB picks for EVERY GAME today.
YRFI/NRFI Best Bet: Cubs vs Brewers – NRFI (-136)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
It doesn‘t get any bigger than this on Wednesday, as Chicago and Milwaukee battle for NL Central supremacy. An intriguing pitching matchup will only add to a playoff atmosphere. Shota Imanaga is going for the Cubs and he is 7-4 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. The left-hander got lit up in his most recent outing, but prior to that he had allowed a first-inning run in just 1 of his last 7 starts. He now faces a Brewers club that is dead last in Major League Baseball by scoring a first-inning run in a mere 20.8 percent of their games.
The Cubs are much better in that department (32.1 percent), but they have an even tougher matchup on their hands. Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta is 12-4 with a 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 131 strikeouts in 121.2 innings. The right-hander is even more dominant at home (7-0, 1.55 ERA). Peralta has fired blanks in the first inning in 6 consecutive starts. I don’t see either side crossing the plate in the opening frame on Wednesday.
Find out our MLB best bets for today, with our experts boasting a 109-79 record this season!
YRFI/NRFI Best Bet: Mets vs Padres – YRFI (-122)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The story could be much different in Mets vs Padres, mainly because Yu Darvish is getting the nod for San Diego. Since returning from elbow inflammation in early July, Darvish has been horrendous in 4 appearances. The veteran righty is 0-3 with a 9.18 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and barely more strikeouts (11) than walks (9) in 16.2 innings of work. Juan Soto is 3-for-4 lifetime against Darvish with 1 home run.
Clay Holmes is toeing the rubber for New York. His overall numbers are decent (3.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP), but he has cooled off in a big way to the tune of a 4.91 ERA in July through 4 appearances. Holmes surrendered a first-inning run to San Francisco this past Friday in game that saw 3 total runners cross the plate in the opening frame. It’s the YRFI for me in this contest.
