We have a monumental sports weekend on the horizon, including the World Cup, the Stanley Cup, the NBA Finals, UFC Freedom 250, the College World Series and, of course, a stacked MLB schedule. I'm keeping it on the diamond in this article, where I've narrowed in on a trio of quick-hitting MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks. Let's dive straight into my top NRFI bets for Saturday, June 13th.
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Saturday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Texas Rangers (+102) vs. Boston Red Sox (-120) | O/U 8.0 (-110/-110)
Starting Pitchers: Jacob deGrom vs. Ranger Suarez
I'll start the day with an NRFI bet in the Rangers-Red Sox game. Neither offense is producing at the moment, with Boston ranking 30th in wOBA (.240) and Texas sitting 12th (.344) over the last week. The Red Sox are riding a two-game NRFI streak, and I don't see them finding a ton of success against an ace like Jacob deGrom.
But circling back to the top of the first, I think we'll see Ranger Suarez (3.18 ERA) keep a clean frame. The southpaw has owned Texas' current roster, limiting them to a lousy slash line of .123/.179/.137 over 73 at-bats. Their top hitters of Joc Pederson (0-for-2) and Brandon Nimmo (4-for-29) are a combined 4-for-31 (.129) against Suarez.
They don’t have a massive sample size against deGrom, but Boston’s lineup is just 2-for-19 (.105) against him. The ace is in top-tier form as well, posting a 0.00 ERA across two starts (11 innings) this month. Give me the NRFI.
Bet: NRFI (-146)
Philadelphia Phillies (+120) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (-142) | O/U 8.0 (-110/-110)
Starting Pitchers: Aaron Nola vs. Shane Drohan
I'm flipping the script and locking in the Yes Runs First Inning (YRFI) in Milwaukee on Saturday afternoon. The Brewers are on an insane 7-0 run to the YRFI, while the Phillies are 2-0 to the prop bet in their last two outings. Both of these offenses can put up runs in a hurry.
Milwaukee will turn to Shane Drohan, who hasn't been overpowering recently, registering a 4.35 ERA in 10.1 innings this month. He'll take on a Philadelphia offense that's 11th in wOBA (.347) and ninth in ISO (.205) over the last week.
Meanwhile, there's arguably no one hotter than the Brewers offensively right now. The Brew Crew is first in wOBA (.398) and third in ISO (.242) across the last seven days. They'll face Aaron Nola, who appears to be washed with his 5.86 ERA and 1.45 WHIP this season.
Milwaukee's big guns of Christian Yelich (11-for-39), Brice Turang (4-for-12) and William Contreras (8-for-29) are a combined 23-for-80 (.288) against Nola. Let's lock in the YRFI.
Bet: YRFI (-108)
Colorado Rockies (+144) vs. Athletics (-172) | O/U 13.5 (-120/-102)
Starting Pitchers: Kyle Freeland vs. Jeffrey Springs
The ball has been jumping out of Las Vegas Ballpark, cashing in all three of the Brewers-Athletics games there during the midweek series. I'll bet on that trend to continue between these two YRFI-friendly teams. Colorado is the third-best YRFI club this season at 42-27 (61%), while the A's are the fourth-best at 40-28 (59%).
Additionally, we have two pedestrian starters taking the hill for these teams. First, we'll see Jeffrey Springs, who brings in a 4.68 ERA this season. The southpaw hasn't been great recently, recording a 6.75 ERA in his last four starts (20 innings). He's tasked with trying to slow down a Rockies offense that's eighth in wOBA (.353) over the last seven days.
Colorado counters with Kyle Freeland, who comes into the weekend at 1-6 with a 7.81 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP. The only notable head-to-head data we have is that Shea Langeliers is 2-for-2 (1.000) with a double and a triple against Freeland. The A's, as a whole, are fourth in wOBA (.369) and first in ISO (.287) over the last week.
There should be runs galore in this one - give me the YRFI.
Bet: YRFI (-215)
