Best MLB NRFI/YRFI for September 2: Bet on the 1st Inning in Pirates vs. Mets

Happy Labor Day to you all! As we begin the transition to the fall, we also begin to focus on teams that are still chasing post-season dreams. We can also target those teams that have closed the book on this year and have begun to focus on next season already. Playoff baseball will soon be upon us- I can't wait!

Before we look ahead, we must take a look at the month that was in this NRFI marketplace. For August, NRFI's went 199-212 (48.42%), Day Games went 57-69 (45.24) and Night Games went 142-143 (49.82%). It was a rough month, to say the least.

A rough month does not mean that we did not do well, between selecting specific games and then with the recent pivot towards pitcher props in the first inning, we still managed a profitable month. And today we begin our journey through September, the last month of the regular season. And I believe that the Pirates vs Cubs is the game that gets started on the winning path tonight!

Luis Severino will start the game for the Mets and he will bring his 24-2 NRFI record this season with him. He will be squaring off against Brayan Bello for the Red Sox in a game where neither team can afford a loss as both are in very tight Wild Card races. Look for this series to be a very hard-fought one!

MLB Best NRFI/YRFI and First Inning Prop Bets For Today

All odds listed are via BetMGM.

Boston Red Sox vs New York Mets NRFI -120

Severino is 11-2 NRFI at home this season and will be facing off with a Red Sox team that, over the last 30 days when playing on the road, has been very susceptible to the Strike Outs having logged 20 first inning Strike Outs in 15 road games. Severino has logged 12 Strike Outs in his 13 home starts for the Mets this season, helping keep his first inning WHIP at 1.00.

Bello will throw in the bottom of the inning and he brings a 17-8 NRFI season record and a 8-4 road record to the mound with him tonight. He will be facing a Mets team that is 80.60% NRFI at home this season and is 7-3 NRFI in their last 10 games. Bello uses his 54.29% Groundball Rate to get him out of the first inning, and with the Mets having below league averages in hits, walks, and HRs in the last 30 days at home, I like this spot for Bello to get into the second inning without a Mets run being scored.

Minnesota Twins vs Tampa Bay Rays NRFI -120

Zack Little will take the mound for the Rays in the top half of the inning. Little has a 16-8 NRFI on the season and is 9-4 at home. He will be facing a Twins team that is, in the last 30 days on the road, below league average in Hits, Walks, and HRs. The Twins are also 8-2 NRFI in their last 10 games and 73.13% NRFI on the road this season.

Simeon Woods Richardson takes the bump for the Twins in the bottom of the inning, with his 21-2 NRFI record on the year, and he has been a perfect 12-0 on the road. His first-inning metrics help better illustrate his first-inning dominance. In those 12 starts, Woods Richardson has only allowed 8 hits, issued 3 Walks, and registered 11 Strike Outs. His first-inning 1.08 WHIP should be enough to keep the Tampa Bay bats quiet in the first frame.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Chicago Cubs NRFI -135

James Taillon will pitch for the Cubs tonight when they face the Pittsburgh Pirates. Taillon will be making his 12th home start and has an 8-3 NRFI record at home, he is 18-5 overall. The Pirates are 82.35% NRFI on the road this season and, unsurprisingly, are below league averages in Hits, Walks, and HRs in the first inning.

Jared Jones will get the ball in the bottom half of the inning. He has a first-inning 47.37% Groundball Rate in the 7 road starts he has had this year, helping him go 6-1 NRFI in those starts and 13-4 overall. The Cubs are 75.38% NRFI at home this season and are 8-2 NRFI in their last 10 games.

For a FULL and complete listing of all the MLB games NRFI/YRFI Data be sure to sign up HERE for my DAILY feed! And tune in on Twitter Spaces every Friday @ 3:00 PM EST as I co-host "The Weekend Wagers Show!" You can also find ALL of my MLB picks on JustTheStatsSports.com! 

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.