Caleb Wilfinger
The MLB season is back, and the first 10 days of the campaign has already produced some tremendous battles on the diamond. While there are plenty of ways to wager on all of the action on the diamond this season, one of the quickest bets you can make is if a run will be scored in the first inning. There is still value to be had in this market, so it’s no wonder that these bets have become very popular over time. If you don’t like sweating out your wagers for 3 hours, this one will take only about 15 minutes.
The NRFI/YRFI market was profitable for our MLB handicapping team last season, so let’s keep that momentum going! But before we dive in, don’t forget to check out our MLB picks for all of today’s games.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies: NRFI (-120)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -130.
Our best bet in the YRFI/NRFI market takes us to Philadelphia on Sunday for a matchup between the Dodgers and Phillies that could end up being a future NLCS preview come October. Despite the potency of both of these lineups, this series has been all about the pitching to this point, and I’d expect that to continue on Sunday. Citizens Bank Park should feature favorable conditions for both starting pitchers in this matchup, as temperatures are expected to be around 52 degrees at first pitch, with around 8 mile per hour winds blowing in, along with a chance of rain as well. It also helps matters that both starting pitchers have to be feeling good after how their respective seasons have started, and that momentum should carry over into the opening frame of this one.
The Dodgers pitching staff is an embarrassment of riches, and Tyler Glasnow will get the start for Los Angeles on Sunday. The tall right-hander has been dominant since joining the Dodgers, posting a 3.37 ERA with an xERA of 2.85 in his 23 starts in Los Angeles. Glasnow has some of the best stuff in baseball, and it certainly translates into making quick work of hitters, as he’s finished in the top 5% of all pitchers in strikeout percentage in 4 of over the past 5 seasons. He should see continue to see early success against a Phillies lineup that he’s posted great career results against. On the other side, Cristopher Sanchez will get the ball for Philadelphia, and he’s coming off a season in which he posted a career-best 0.5 home runs allowed per 9 innings. He’s also done a much better job at limiting hard contact over his past 32 outings, dating back to the start of last season. After allowing just 1 run on 4 hits in his first outing of the season, look for Sanchez to keep that momentum going against the Dodgers.
