If you aren’t interested in a bet that will take 9 innings, one of the shortest-lasting bets you can make in an MLB game is if a run will be scored in the first inning. All it takes is 6 outs to glory, and one swing of the bat can make or break your bet.
There is also a lot of value in these bets because the odds are usually very well-priced, and if you’re not a fan of sweating out your bets for 3 hours then this one will take only about 15 minutes to win or lose. But before we dive in, don’t forget to check out our MLB picks for every game on Saturday.
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Atlanta Braves vs Milwaukee Brewers: YRFI (-124)
Available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The Braves have been the most profitable YRFI team in baseball. They have scored a first-inning run in 41.05% of their games, which is the highest rate of all 30 teams. That’s not too surprising since Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson and Austin Riley make up one of the most powerful top of the orders in the game. The Braves offense will face Adrian Houser, a right-hander who has bounced between the bullpen and rotation this season. For now, Houser is in the starting rotation, and that allows the Braves to jump on him early. Houser owns a 7.20 ERA and is allowing an absurd .350 batting average in the opening frame this season.
Atlanta’s starting rotation is starting to become incredibly thin after Kolby Allard was placed on the injured list. But that injury has opened the door for Allan Winans, a 17th-round pick from the 2018 draft. Winans has been fabulous in Triple-A this season and has earned the opportunity to make his MLB debut on Saturday, but I still have to factor in the debut jitters. Adrenaline will be high for Winans, and that could cause him to overthrow and lose control, so Milwaukee has an excellent chance to pounce on the rookie and start the game with a first-inning run.
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New York Mets vs Boston Red Sox: NRFI (-113)
Available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
This is the best pitching matchup of the day in my opinion. Max Scherzer will toe the rubber for the Mets and James Paxton will be the starter for the home team, and that sounds like a scoreless first inning to me. Scherzer’s season has been similar to the Mets’ — disappointing. He has a 3.99 ERA paired with a 1.18 WHIP in 17 starts this season and went into the break after a pair of poor outings against the Diamondbacks and Padres. However, Scherzer bounced back in his first start in the second half of the season as he threw 7 scoreless innings and surrendered just 1 hit against his former team from Los Angeles. Scherzer started that game with a scoreless opening frame, and I think he can do it again against Boston’s lineup.
James Paxton has been the best pitcher in Boston’s rotation this season. The Red Sox didn’t know what to expect when Paxton finally came back from injury, but it’s safe to say he’s been a pleasant surprise. In the first inning this season, Paxton has allowed just 4 runs in 11 starts and has limited hitters to a .220 batting average and a .256 on-base percentage. And as we saw in Friday night’s series opener, New York is terrible at scoring in the first inning. Between a pair of excellent starting pitchers, I like the chances of a scoreless first in Boston.
You can also read our MLB mega parlay for Saturday’s slate
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