It's the Fourth of July which means barbeque, beer, fireworks, and a plethora of baseball games all day. The final game on the board is between the Giants and A's, and my MLB picks are taking a plus-money bet in the first inning of that interleague clash.
Here are my best NRFI bets for Friday, July 4.
Best NRFI/YRFI bets today
Tigers vs 
Guardians: YRFI
Rays vs 
Twins: YRFI
Giants vs 
A's: NRFI
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NRFI/YRFI bets for July 4
Tigers at Guardians: YRFI (+101 at ProphetX)
The Detroit Tigers are fifth in the majors in OPS (.754) with that number surging to .806 over the last 30 days.
They should have plenty of success against Cleveland Guardians starter Slade Cecconi who has an ERA of 3.64 but is due for severe regression. Cecconi is in the bottom 2% of the majors in barrel rate, exit velocity, and hard-hit rate, resulting in an expected ERA of 5.24.
Detroit will give the ball to Reese Olson who is coming off the IL and hasn't pitched in the bigs since May 17 due to a finger injury. He could be rusty out of the gate which isn't a good sign when playing on the road.
- Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
- Where to watch:
Guardians - Guardians TV Presented by Progressive, WKYC 3Tigers - FanDuel Sports Network Detroit
- Bet: YRFI
Rays at Twins: YRFI (-120 at ProphetX)
The Tampa Bay Rays have caught fire on offense after struggling at the start of the year. Over the last 30 days, they led the Majors in OPS (.814) and runs per game (5.77).
They should be able to get to Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack who has a 4.70 ERA in 17 starts and has pitched to a 5.82 ERA with an OBA of .304 in the opening frame.
That said, the Rays could struggle to contain Minnesota's bats as well. Zack Littell will be on the hill for Tampa Bay and he's in the bottom 25th percentile in xERA (4.56) and xBA (.270). Meanwhile, the Twins plate a run in the first inning in 33.3% of their games at home.
The stiff 16 mph wind blowing towards the outfield today is another reason to expect plenty of runs.
- Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
- Where to watch:
Twins - Twins.TV Presented by ProgressiveRays - FanDuel Sports Network Sun
- Bet: YRFI
Giants at Athletics: NRFI (+115 at ProphetX)
The NRFI bet for this game is installed at plus money and I'm not sure it should be. San Francisco Giants starter Justin Verlander (4.26 ERA) and Athletics counterpart JP Sears (5.09 ERA) have been subpar, but I like them to get the job done early.
Verlander is a future Hall of Famer and he's still starting strong, pitching to a 2.08 ERA with an OBA of .182 in the opening frame. He'll face an A's lineup that has struggled lately, posting an OPS of .644 over the last 15 days.
Likewise, Sears has pitched to a 1.06 ERA with an OBA of .169 in the first inning and the Giants have an OPS of just .624 against lefties.
- Time: 10:05 p.m. ET
- Where to watch:
Athletics - NBCSCAGiants - NBCS BANational - MLBN (out-of-market only)
- Bet: NRFI
❓What are NRFI and YRFI bets❓
NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) bets add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI bet is a wager that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're betting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.
A YRFI bet is the exact opposite. You're betting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.
NRFI and YRFI bets add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for bettors looking for a quick resolution.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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