My NRFI picks for today feature a surefire NRFI pick on the Royals vs Yankees, where a slumping Aaron Judge makes all the difference. After that, it's a NRFI play in the A's vs Astros game.
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NRFI Pick Today: Royals vs Yankees (-115)
Royals vs Yankees Odds -- Game Time 7:05 p.m. ET
Aaron Judge hasn't been the same over the last two weeks (.594 OPS), which greatly impacts the Yankees' chance of delivering a YRFI. The big, bad Bronx Bombers built their 79-66 YRFI record this year thanks to Judge and Juan Soto's heroics, but with their star on the schneid, this offense is hurting. In fact, the Yanks own a .498 first-inning OPS over the last two weeks, the third-worst mark in baseball during that span.
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So Cole Ragans (23-6 NRFI) should not fear Judge and the boys amid their epic slump. The Royals lefty has been great in the first inning this year, rocking a 2.48 ERA while yielding just three homers in 29 innings. Opponents hit for a .533 OPS in the first inning off Ragans, so I'm not worried about him at all as he guns for his seventh straight NRFI.
And to make things even better, Luis Gil (21-4 NRFI) is a reliable NRFI pitcher, too. Despite serious walk problems (19 BBs), the Yankees starter owns a 1.80 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 25 innings. He is primed for a good outing against a Royals squad that isn't much better than the Yankees in the first inning with a .536 OPS over the last two weeks.
NRFI Pick Today: Athletics vs Astros (-115)
Athletics vs Astros Odds -- Game Time 8:10 p.m. ET
We'll take a risk here, but with how bad Houston's offense has been lately, my gut tells me we can win a NRFI bet. Just don't screw this up, Joey Estes.
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The Astros forgot how to hit in the first inning. For the last two weeks, Houston hitters have batted .119 (the worst mark in baseball) alongside a .368 OPS. For a club that's fighting to make the playoffs, this mark is quite saddening. But it's a joyous occasion for NRFI bettors like us, especially when Hunter Brown takes the hill. The Astros right-hander has a way more reliable first-inning NRFI record (19-8) than his counterpart Estes (13-7), and Brown has been great lately, pitching to a 1.22 ERA over his last six starts.
As for Estes, he has yielded a 5.85 ERA in the first inning, so we really need the Astros to stay weak for one more game. I'll bet it happens.
