Top MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Odds for Saturday, August 27th (2022)
All 30 Major League Baseball teams are in action on this stacked Saturday in sports. Games get underway with the Angels squaring off against the Blue Jays in Toronto at 3:07 p.m. ET and conclude out west where the Mariners go for their third straight win over the Guardians. A couple of other notable matchups include the Rays going toe-to-toe with the Red Sox and an N.L. clash between the Braves and Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
There are plenty of ways to bet on today’s board, but I’ve narrowed in on my top three No Runs First Inning (NRFI) wagers for today’s 15-game slate.
Odds Courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Los Angeles Angels vs. Toronto Blue Jays
The Halos took game one of their three-game weekend series with the Jays last night in Ontario. They’ll look to get a winning streak going this afternoon as they send Shohei Ohtani to the bump. The Blue Jays counter with Alek Manoah in this American League showdown scheduled for 3:07 p.m. ET.
Ohtani is putting together another MVP-caliber season for Los Angeles. On the bump, the right-hander is 10-8 with a 2.83 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 21 starts. He’s also struck out the eighth-most batters (167) in the Majors. Last time out, Ohtani lasted just 4.0 innings against the Tigers and allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks. He was saddled with a loss in a 4-0 affair with Detroit.
Manoah is having a breakout year in his second season in the big leagues. The burly right-hander comes into today’s game at 12-6 with a 2.66 ERA (10th) and 1.04 WHIP (19th) in 24 outings this year. Most recently, Manoah limited the Yankees to two runs (one earned) on four hits and a pair of walks over 6.0 innings of work. He took a no-decision, and the Blue Jays have now lost his last three starts.
Manoah’s ERA makes a slight increase to 2.79 at home, but opponents are hitting just .198 against him at Rogers Centre compared to .228 in road games. I think this will be a good opportunity for the righty to get things going against an Angels team that has thrown in the towel on the 2022 season. As for Shohei, he’s been in decent form recently, posting a 2.91 ERA over four starts this month (21.2 IP). I like for the righty to find some success against a Toronto offense that has been slumping recently. Over the last 15 days, the Blue Jays rank 13th in team batting average (.241) and 17th in OPS (.672). Let’s ride with NRFI in the first game of the day.
Bet: Angels at Blue Jays NRFI (-140 via DraftKings)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Miami Marlins
Los Angeles won last night’s series opener in extra innings thanks to a two-home run night from Mookie Betts. The Dodgers go for their fourth straight win tonight as they turn to Dustin May to handle the starting pitching responsibilities. Sandy Alcantara gets the nod in this N.L. matchup set for 6:10 p.m. ET from Florida.
May will make just his second start of the year after returning from the IL with Tommy John surgery. The right-hander looked like he hadn’t skipped a beat, beating the Marlins in a 5.0-inning effort last Saturday night. May allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out nine batters.
Alcantara is on a roll this season and will likely win the Cy Young in the National League. He’s currently the favorite at -280 (via DraftKings). The right-hander comes into tonight’s matchup at 11-6 with a 2.19 ERA (11th) and 0.98 WHIP (10th) over 25 starts. Alcantara pitched on Sunday against the Dodgers and got tagged for six earned runs over just 3.2 innings of work.
While Alcantara is coming off of his worst start of the year, I think he can bounce back at home today. The Cy Young frontrunner owns a 1.67 ERA and 0.87 WHIP at home this year, and opponents are hitting just .189 against him at LoanDepot Park. As for May, I’m going to back him as he just shut down the Marlins last weekend. This current Miami roster is just 3-22 (.136) against him in his career, with the only extra base-hit being a double from Brian Anderson. While this play is a bit juicy at -170, I think it’s relatively safe with these hurlers going today.
Bet: Dodgers at Marlins NRFI (-170 via DraftKings)
San Francisco Giants vs. Minnesota Twins
Minnesota won last night’s series opener 9-0, and they’ll look to keep it rolling as they send Sonny Gray to the hill. San Francisco counters with Alex Cobb in this interleague game set for 7:15 p.m. ET from Target Field.
Cobb has made two straight quality starts, and four out of his last five have been of the quality variety. Most recently, the right-hander went 6.2 innings and allowed 10 hits over 6.2 innings against the Rockies. Cobb took a no-decision in a 4-3 extra innings loss at Coors Field. He’s now 4-6 on the year with a 3.99 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 20 starts.
Gray has been one of the more dependable starters for Minnesota this season. The right-hander comes in at 7-4 with a 3.10 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over 19 starts. Gray last pitched on Monday against the Rangers and gave up just two earned runs on five hits and a walk over 6.0 innings. The 32-year-old was charged with a loss, and the Twins are now 11-8 in games where he pitched.
Despite the Twins being just 1-3 in his starts this month, Gray has posted a 2.08 ERA, and 1.15 WHIP over 21.2 innings pitched. The current Giants roster is just 16-68 (.235) against Gray, so look for him to put in another high-level performance at home tonight. There aren’t too many stats that stand out for Alex Cobb in this matchup. However, he’s running into a Twins team that ranks 22nd in team batting average (.230) and 19th in OPS (.654) over the last 15 days. Neither of these offenses is very prolific right now, so let’s lock in NRFI in the Twin Cities tonight.
Bet: Giants at Twins NRFI (-140 via DraftKings)
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