Y/NRFI picks are your new best friend if you want instant MLB action. Personally, I hate waiting for my bets to hit, so I'm all in on this popular betting format.
Here are my two Y/NRFI bets for Thursday, May 30:
Pick 1: Royals vs Twins: Yes run First inning (+110)
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 1:10 pm ET
Certain data might suggest this game is a strong NRFI play. For example, Royals starter Brady Singer is 10-1 NRFI this year. 10-1! That's damn decisive. But here's what the sportsbooks don't know: the Twins crush Singer, and they've done so for a while.
Active Twins hitters are slashing .297/.357/.534 against the Royals righty in a massive sample size of 118 at-bats. Minnesota knows Singer inside out. Carlos Correa is 5-for-14 with a .938 OPS, while Byron Buxton is even better against Singer, batting 7-for-15 with two homers and a 1.467 OPS. As a side bet, look for Buxton to have a big day.
Chris Paddack goes for the Twins, and he's no saint either. The Royals are also 10th in baseball over the last two weeks with a .744 first-inning OPS.
Pick 2: Cubs vs Brewers: No Run First Inning (-135)
Matchup Preview - Game Time: 1:10 pm ET
The books are privy to this NRFI bet, setting our line at -135. It's not as tasty as the Royals-Twins play, so perhaps you can add it as a fourth leg to today's MLB same-game parlay that I've profiled here.
Neither club is especially potent in the first inning. Milwaukee is a modest 28-25 NRFI, while the Cubs are way more frugal in the first, rocking a 32-22 NRFI record. Jameson Taillon has been especially clean in the first inning, allowing just two runs in seven starts.
Neither offense is totally humming right now, and with a day-game start after a mid-afternoon showdown yesterday, there's reason to believe both lineups might be sluggish. In the end, it all plays into our NRFI bet at -135.