LHP Tarik Skubal and the Los Angeles Dodgers make their march to October looking to cash an NRFI against the Cincinnati Reds. The Cleveland Guardians and Baltimore Orioles have another good NRFI matchup. The same can’t be said for the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves, who could see some crooked numbers on the scoreboard early.
Tuesday’s action will begin at 6:35 p.m. ET. Take your time and choose your bets wisely, but these are the three we like in the MLB slate.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
More MLB Predictions:
- Best MLB Home Run Prop Bet Predictions for Tuesday, Sept. 8
Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today
Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers NRFI (-125)
Reds LHP Nick Lodolo has always had strikeout stuff, but he has just struggled to keep runs off the board. He’s 3-3 with a 5.08 ERA this season. When it comes to the first inning, though, he’s very good with a 3.18 ERA and 17 K’s in as many innings. Speaking of strikeout stuff, Dodgers LHP Tarik Skubal takes the ball at 8-7 with a 2.86 ERA and a 10.8 K/9. His first-inning ERA of 4.50 isn’t the greatest, but he has one of the best arms in the game.
Cleveland Guardians at Baltimore Orioles NRFI (-105)
The Guardians roll with RHP Tanner Bibee at 5-15 with a 4.06 ERA. He is rock-solid with a 3.10 ERA in the first. The O’s probably wish baseball games were one-inning long as they have three guys in their rotation that really thrive in the first. RHP Brandon Young is one of them. He’s 9-3 with a 3.42 ERA on the season. His 4.12 ERA is a little inflated, but he has kept the first clean in five of his last six turns.
Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves YRFI (-130)
The Rays send RHP Freddy Peralta to the mound at 7-11 with a 4.96 ERA. He’s having a disappointing year, and it doesn’t get much better in the first with a 4.18 ERA. He has allowed runs in the first in two of his last three starts. The Braves turn to RHP A.J. Smith-Shawver at 0-1 with a 7.13 ERA in four starts. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in the first yet, but it’s such a small sample size, and he has had immense struggles.
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.
