Betsided

Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today (First Inning Picks for May 5)

By Iain MacMillan

The Blue Jays will face the Guardians in Thursday night MLB action.
The Blue Jays will face the Guardians in Thursday night MLB action. / Cole Burston/GettyImages
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The NHL Playoffs distracted from from NRFI and YRFI bets early this week, but I'm back on them for Thursday, May 5th.

The break was probably a good thing, because I suffered the ol' reverse sweep with my Sunday picks.

If you're unfamiliar, these bets are on the first inning of MLB games. If you bet on NRFI (No Runs First Inning), and the first inning sees no runs scored, the bet cashes. If you wager on YRFI (Yes Runs First Inning), the bet will hit if one or more runs are scored in the opening inning.

Here are my top three NRFI and YRFI bets for Thursday, May 5th. All odds listed below are via WynnBET Sportsbook.

Blue Jays vs. Guardians YRFI +100

I have one name for you. Aaron Civale. He is getting the start for the Guardians tonight and he absolutely stinks this year. Through four starts this season, he has an ERA of 10.67. That's right, he's allowed 17 earned runs in just 14.1 innings pitched. Not only that, but he's allowed more runs in the first inning than any other at six.

Sure, the Guardians' bats have cooled down as of late, but this is a solid bet based on Civale facing the Jays offense alone. I'm all over it at plus-money.

Twins vs. Orioles YRFI -110

The Twins bats have been on fire lately. Dating backed to April 23rd, the Twins rank third in batting average (.279), and second in OPS (.802). Not only that, but they're facing Spenser Watkins of the Orioles, and he has a deceiving ERA of 2.55. That may seem good, but his FIP is 5.19 which tells me that his ERA is fraudulent.

Minnesota is also seventh in the Majors in first inning runs per game at 0.68.

Tigers vs. Astros NRFI -110

The Astros have been struggling against left-handed pitchers this season, ranking 24th in batting average against them at .204. Today, they face Tigers starter Tarik Skubal (3.05 ERA), who just happens to be a lefty.

Then you have the Tigers offense, who stinks no matter what way the opposing pitcher throws. They're 22nd in batting average (.226) and 27th in OPS (.617). I love getting this bet at pick'em odds.

You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.

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