Best MLB NRFI/YRFI for July 26: Why Backing Gore vs Gray has Excellent Value Tonight

Happy Friday to you all! We have a full 15-game MLB slate to comb through for today's best value spots for some exciting first-inning action. With so many big-name arms throwing today, we can look for the most advantageous spots worthy of our betting dollar.

I have found three games that I believe are deserved of our NRFI/YRFI attention! The first of which is the game taking place in St. Louis, Missouri, where the Cardinals are hosting the Washington Nationals for a 3-game series this weekend.

This matchup will have two premiere NRFI pitchers taking the mound in the first inning tonight. Between the Card's Sonny Gray and the National's Mackenzie Gore, they are a combined 31-7 NRFI on the season. That is a combined 81.6% No Run First Inning for the season, hard not to lean into that kind of a trend. Let's look a little deeper into this, and the other two games that I am targeting today.

MLB Best NRFI/YRFI Bets For Today

All odds listed are via Caesars Sportbook.

Washington Nationals vs St. Louis Cardinals NRFI -135

St. Louis will send starting pitcher Sonny Gray, and his perfect 10-0 NRFI record at home, to the mound to start this game. Gray is 14-4 NRFI overall this season and obviously performs much better at home than when on the road. The Nationals team he will be facing is the league leaders in overall NRFI performance with a 83.5% of their games resulting in a scoreless Washington half of the inning. Fortunately for us, the Nationals have a higher NRFI rate on the road than at home, going 86.79% when away from their home field.

Gray has some incredible first inning metrics as well, like a .121 OPP BA and a 0.60 WHIP. I like Gray here, especially against a Nationals team that just got no-hit by SD Padre pitcher Dylan Cease yesterday.

The Nationals will have Mackenzie Gore on the bump in the bottom half of the inning. Gore has been a solid NRFI pitcher logging a 17-3 overall record while being 7-2 on the road. The Cardinals team he will be facing is 7-3 NRFI in their last 10 games and is 78.72% NRFI at home this season. Gore's first-inning metrics underscore his successful NRFI record this season as he has logged a .160 OPP BA and a 1.14 WHIP on the road. Over the last 30 days, the Cards are batting .245 in the first inning.

Minnestoa Twins vs Detroit Tigers NRFI -130

Detroit's Keider Montero will be making his sixth start tonight when he faces the Twins. Montero has an overall NRFI record of 3-2 in his starts this season and is 2-1 at home. He will be looking to improve on those numbers against a Twins team that is 10-0 NRFI in their last 10 games and is 76.47% NRFI on the road this season. In his three home starts, Montero has logged a first inning .100 OPP BA and a 0.67 WHIP.

Pablo Lopez will take the mound in the bottom half of the inning against the Tigers. Lopez is 13-7 NRFI overall this season and is 7-3 on the road. He enters this game with a first-inning .194 OPP BA and a 0.90 WHIP. The Tigers are 7-3 NRFI in their last 10 games and are 70.83% NRFI at home this season.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Arizona Diamondbacks NRFI -125

Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen has been an NRFI beast at home this season. He has a 13-3 NRFI record overall, and a perfect 8-0 record at home. His underlying first-inning metrics highlight why his home record has been perfect thus far this season, he has a .148 OPP BA and a 0.75 WHIP. He will be facing a Pirates team that, over the last 30 days, is batting .194 in the first inning when playing on the road. The Pirates are also 8-2 NRFI in their last 10 games and are 80.0% NRFI on the road this season.

The D'backs will be facing Luis Ortiz in the bottom half of the inning. Ortiz will be making his fifth start for the Pirates and has a perfect 4-0 NRFI record so far. In his two road starts this year, Ortiz has logged a first inning .167 OPP BA and a 1.00 WHIP. He will be facing an Arizona team that is 8-2 NRFI in their last 10 games and is 64.00% NRFI at home this season.

3- Team No Run First Inning Parlay +103

• CWS White Sox- 82.35% NRFI Probability Score - 8-2 NRFI in last 10 games

• NYM Mets- 80.77% NRFI Probability Score - 10-0 NRFI in last 10 games

• MIA Marlins -83.02% NRFI Probability Score - 10-0 NRFI in last 10 games

For a complete daily NRFI/YRFI team listing, be sure to follow me on Twitter!

Twitter/X: @BettorDaysAhead

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.