Two NRFI and YRFI Bets to Cash in Today 8/26
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- The Royals and Guardians square off in hotly contested AL Central
- We look at two MLB picks to cash in today
- Twins look to keep pace behind Ober
- Read on for some insight into these matchups and more before placing your bets at BetUS Sportsbook.
It’s the last week of August and you could make a case for 12 teams still having a shot at a division crown. Several more are in the wild-card mix, setting us up for a great dash to the finish. We’ll be making quality NRFI/YRFI bets all along the way, including two for Monday’s limited slate of MLB odds.
2 YRFI/NRFI Picks for Aug. 26
1. Royals vs Guardians: Marsh, Allen Meet in Battle of Call-Ups.
The AL Central race intensifies with a Monday doubleheader in Cleveland, the first of seven meetings between these divisional foes in an 11-day span. The Guardians open the stretch with a three-game lead over both the Royals and Twins.
Pay attention to MLB news updates for any changes, but the nightcap is expected to feature Alec Marsh for Kansas City opposing Logan Allen for the hosts. Both hurlers are being brought in from the minors to fill this gap, so it’s not the juiciest mound matchup on the docket.
That doesn’t really matter for our RIFI purposes, as this simply presents an opportunity to get hopefully nab some quick cash. Also, be sure to check out what our team of MLB experts has to say on this game as a whole, as well as others on the Monday calendar.
Allen has been up and down multiple times this year as he struggles to duplicate a solid rookie campaign. He enters with a 5.56 ERA at the big league level and gave up nine runs in 15⅓ innings over his last Triple-A stint, so he’s hittable wherever he pitches right now.
Allen’s first-inning ERA with the Guardians is an even more unsightly 7.11. Nestled in those frames is a .346 opponents’ batting average and a whopping six home runs (in just 19 innings overall).
Behind the leading hitter in the majors, Bobby Witt, who went yard again Sunday, the Royals are tied for eighth in the majors in first-inning scoring percentage (30.0). A Witt single was part of a run-producing first-inning rally against Allen back in June when Kansas City chased the lefty in the fifth while building a 4-0 lead.
Bobby Witt Jr. CRUSHED this ball 441 feet 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Q6WwZ5glTp
— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2024
As for Marsh, he carries a 4.71 ERA into his return to the majors, making his first start at this level in about a month. He also has been knocked around early in games, giving up 14 earned runs in his 19 first innings.
Marsh posted a quality start in his one matchup with Cleveland this year but he did allow a first-inning run.
This one has all the elements of producing some instantaneous action.
Bet on Royals-Guardians First Inning to Score – YES
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2. Braves vs Twins: Take the Ober on First-Inning Runs
Staying in the AL Central, we have the Twins – losers of five of their last seven – trying to keep pace as they continue a long homestand. Bailey Ober gets the nod in this series opener as he puts on the line an impressive run of 11 straight quality starts.
Ober is 7-1 with a 2.09 ERA in that span, winning all five of his starts at home. The one blip in all this success is his propensity to still get tagged from time to time in the first inning (four of the 11 starts featured at least one run by opponents). And while this is no knock on Ober, who simply has to pitch when it’s his turn, the 11 straight starts included two vs the White Sox, two vs. the A’s, two vs the Tigers, and one vs the Mariners.
The 29-year-old has a 6.00 first-inning ERA on the year, giving up six of his 19 home runs in that frame and nine of his 34 walks. The Braves are obviously not the machine they could be without Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley, but they’ve actually increased their first-inning scoring percentage over the past month – it’s now 29.33, good for 11th in the majors.
That’s all to say it’s no sure thing for Ober, who has had the current Braves hit 9-for-23 (.391) against him.
It hasn’t been a bad year for Max Fried. A lot of guys would kill for his 3.57 ERA. But it hasn’t been his best, either. That 3.57 ERA is his highest since 2019 and his strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.59) is the lowest since that same year.
Part of the problem, if you can call it that, has been a few bumpy first innings here and there. He’s posted a 4.96 ERA in that frame and opponents have hit .296 against him. The Twins like facing lefties and love hitting at home, where they own the majors’ best OPS (.794).
Our MLB prediction for this game is to bet on a score in the first inning.
Bet on Braves-Twins First Inning to Score – YES
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Question of the Day
What other news items will impact MLB betting this week?
You’ll have to wait until Tuesday to see the Diamondbacks play again but it’ll be very hard to go against them when they open a set at home against the Mets on Tuesday. Arizona has won six in a row after an impressive sweep in Fenway Park and they’re now nipping at the Dodgers’ heels in the NL West. All good vibes in the desert.
