Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today for 2022 MLB All-Star Game (McClanahan and Kershaw Should Dominate Early)

When an immovable object meets an unstoppable force, who blinks first?

That's the question we must answer in the first inning of the MLB All-Star Game tonight as Shane McClanahan and Clayton Kershaw take on the best hitters the sport has to offer.

Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Rafael Devers lead the American League's lineup, while Ronald Acuna Jr, Mookie Betts, and Manny Machado bat first for the National League.

Will McClanahan and Kershaw throw up zeros in the opening frame or will one of these powerful bats get an early score? Let's find out using the odds from WynnBET Sportsbook:

Will There be a Run in the First Inning of the MLB All-Star Game?

• Yes Run First Inning: +110

• No Run First Inning: -130

A number of factors point me in the direction of a scoreless opening frame.

First, the low total (7.5) indicates runs will be hard to come by.

Second, both McClanahan and Kershaw are dominant pitchers, especially in the first inning.

McClanahan has a 1.17 ERA in his last seven starts and has been sensational across the board. Since entering the league last year, he's held his opponent scoreless in the first in 34 of 44 starts. He's been the best pitcher in baseball in my opinion, and his MLB Statcast Pitching Profile backs that up:

Kershaw, meanwhile, is a NRFI King. He's allowed just one earned run in the first over his 12 starts and held five of his last six opponents to one run or fewer.

Since 2020, Kershaw held his opponent scoreless in the first in 40 of his 49 starts and 19 of his 22 home starts. The All-Star Game is in Los Angeles, so Kershaw will have an opportunity to continue his home dominance in what is likely his final All-Star Game start.

Trust each elite pitcher to get off to a strong start and take the NRFI.

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.