NRFI Picks Today: More Playoff Ball

It’s Wednesday, October 1, Day 2 of MLB Wild Card action, and we’re coming off a 1-1 split on Tuesday’s NRFI picks. Let’s aim for a perfect 2-0 today with two early-inning wagers that fit the NRFI markets.

NRFI Pick Today: Red Sox vs Yankees (-145 at FanDuel)

Red Sox vs Yankees Odds – 6:08 p.m. ET

Game 1 opened with airtight pitching before New York’s bullpen cracked late, and we’re going back to the no-run well in Game 2. Carlos Rodon has quietly been one of baseball’s best tone-setters: across 33 starts this season, he’s posted a microscopic 2.18 first-inning ERA with opponents hitting just .190 and slugging .306. That’s elite in a postseason setting where one swing can flip momentum. It's exactly how the Yankees struck yesterday when Anthony Volpe went deep early.

Rodon also lines up well against Boston’s familiar bats. Active Red Sox hitters have 114 career at-bats against him but only a .228 average and a modest .421 slugging (.749 OPS overall). The contact quality tilts to being pitcher-friendly despite the sample size.

On the other side, Brayan Bello has been reliable at keeping first frames quiet, carrying a 4.18 ERA across 28 first innings. While the Yankees lineup didn’t click on Tuesday, they’ll see his mix for the first time this postseason. Traditionally, active Yanks have struggled against Bello, generating a measly .669 OPS in 134 at-bats. Notably, Aaron Judge is 2-for-21 lifetime vs Bello.

With both starters’ track records and October’s tendency to tighten swings, -145 is a fair NRFI price.

YRFI Pick Today: Reds vs Dodgers (-105 at DraftKings)

Reds vs Dodgers Odds – 9:08 p.m. ET

We flip to the other side of the market late tonight. Game 1 delivered a first-inning blast from Shohei Ohtani and five total Dodgers homers, and this matchup again screams early fireworks. Cincinnati turns to Zack Littell, who lacks extensive history versus this lineup but has been punished when he’s faced them: active Dodgers hitters are 8-for-31 (.258) with a robust .581 slugging. Max Muncy already owns two homers against the Reds starter, Freddie Freeman is 1-for-2 off Littell, and Teoscar Hernandez is 2-for-4. Even if that power doesn’t show instantly, the depth and left-right balance of LA’s order make it a tough first hurdle.

The Dodgers’ postseason approach is aggressive. They ambushed pitching yesterday and rarely let a hittable starter settle in. Combine that with a Reds staff that just yielded five bombs, and laying -105 for another YRFI is worth it.