Atlanta Braves OF Ronald Acuna Jr. is back after missing six weeks on the injured list. He's looking to injure baseballs and cash a YRFI in a good matchup against the Washington Nationals. The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays have a good pitching matchup we believe leads to an NRFI. We also look for the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers game to stay quiet early.
We have 10 games slated for Thursday with a handful of them beginning in the afternoon. The first game begins at 12:10 p.m. ET.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
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Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today
Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves YRFI (-155)
Nats RHP Jake Irvin (shoulder) is coming off the 60-day IL to make his first start since May. He already had a 9.82 ERA in the first inning this season, and the added rust could provide a field day for the Braves. RHP Grant Holmes goes for the Braves at 6-4 with a 3.79 ERA. He has an identical 3.79 ERA in the first inning. The upside in this matchup really revolves around Irvin coming off the IL with shaky first-inning numbers.
Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays NRFI (-120)
Texas will roll with RHP Cole Winn over Nathan Eovaldi. The former has a 5-3 record and rocks a 6.11 ERA on the year, but his first-inning ERA dips to 0.00 -- and that's because he hasn't seen the mound before the fourth inning in any contest this season. While the uncertainty definitely makes this a riskier wager, don't hold the unknown aspect of no starts against him. Rays LHP Shane McClanahan is 9-6 with a 3.09 ERA. He's even better in the first with a 2.37 ERA and 22 K's in 19 frames. Opponents are hitting just .174 against him in the opening frame. Bet NRFI if you're feeling frisky.
Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Dodgers NRFI (-110)
The M's go with RHP Bryan Woo at 7-7 with a 4.37 ERA with a 4.05 ERA over 20.0 first innings pitched. For the Dodgers, RHP Roki Sasaki is 4-5 with a 4.71 ERA. His issues aren't in the first, though, as he has an opening-stanza 2.50 ERA in 18 starts. If the scoreboard is going to be busy, there's a decent chance it won't start in the first inning.
What Do NRFI and YRFI Mean in Baseball?
The term NRFI indicates no runs scored in the first inning. Its opposite, YRFI, indicates yes, there will be a run in the first inning. It doesn't matter if the run qualifies as an earned run or not. If a run crosses the plate in the first inning for either team, the wager loses for the NRFI side and wins for the YRFI side.
