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, but 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, this one will take only about 15 minutes to win or lose.
There are 2 YRFI/NRFI bets I like today, so let’s get right into it.
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Minnesota Twins vs Houston Astros: NRFI (-113)
If you’ve been following along with my NRFI plays this season, you might notice I like to back Dylan Bundy a lot. Bundy is having a decent year, nothing spectacular, but he has been excellent in the first inning. His last start came against the Rangers, and he went 1-2-3 in the first frame, which extended his streak to 8 consecutive starts without allowing a first-inning run. In 21 starts this year, he has a 3.00 ERA and has limited opponents to a .218 batting average in the first inning.
Although the Astros offense is very threatening, the top 4 hitters in their lineup have not fared too well against Bundy in their careers. I expect Jose Altuve, Yuli Gurriel, Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman to complete the top of the Houston order on Wednesday night. In their careers against Bundy, Altuve is 4-for-12 (.333) with 2 strikeouts, Gurriel is 3-for-18 (.167) with 5 strikeouts, Alvarez is 3-for-11 (.287) with 5 strikeouts and Bregman is 2-for-16 (.125) with 3 strikeouts.
Framber Valdez has been outstanding since the all-star break. He has a 2.91 in the second half of the season and has yet to allow more than 3 runs in any of those outings. The majority of those successful starts begin with a solid first frame as he has not allowed a first-inning run in 5 of his last 7 starts. Valdez will face a Twins offense that has been slumping recently, as they ranked 29th in OPS in the last 7 days before first pitch on Tuesday night. The lefty will likely face Luis Arraez, Carlos Correa and Jose Miranda at the top of the Minnesota order on Wednesday.
Fortunately for Valdez, Byron Buxton was placed on the injured list on Tuesday night which makes the Twins’ offense even more vulnerable. In their careers against Valdez, Aaraez is 0-for-1 (.000) and both Correa and Miranda have never faced him. Back the NRFI in Houston.
Check out today’s +867 MLB mega parlay
San Francisco Giants vs Detroit Tigers: NRFI (-135)
Matt Manning has made a name for himself in the NRFI market. The young right-hander has limited opponents to a .191 batting average in the first inning as he’s held opponents scoreless in the first frame in 4 of his 6 starts this season. He will face a San Francisco offense that has the tendency to start slow as they rank 20th in OBP and 27th in batting average in the first frame this year. They have scored a first-inning run in only 2 of their last 11 games, and one of those instances came at Coors Field. This game will take place at Comerica Park, which is one of the hardest stadiums to hit a home run in, so the Giants would likely need to string a few hits together to score the run.
Logan Webb continues to be incredibly reliable in the Giants’ starting rotation. He’s also been one of the best pitchers to back for a NRFI since he has a 3.24 ERA and has held hitters to a .189 batting average in the first frame this season. Webb has not allowed a first-inning run in 4 consecutive starts, and it seems hard to imagine that streak will break in Detroit. The Tigers have scored a first-inning run in only 3 of their last 15 games, which makes sense considering they rank 28th in OPS and 29th in OBP in the first inning this season. Neither offense has a strong top of the order, and with a strong pitching matchup, I don’t expect either offense to start scoring until later in the game. Expect a scoreless first inning in Detroit.
Be sure to check out our full San Francisco Giants vs Detroit Tigers predictions
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