Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today (Phillies vs Braves Headline Matchups to Target)

Now that the dust is settling from a wild trade deadline, it's time to get back to business. There's No Run First Inning (NRFI) and Yes Run First Inning (YRFI) bets to cash, after all.

We've got a fantastic 15-game MLB slate with contests all throughout the afternoon, giving us value to carry us through the work day. That's rather nice of the MLB schedule-makers, if you ask me.

So let's jump into it. Using odds from WynnBET Sportsbook, here are my favorite NRFI/YRFI bets of the day:

Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today

Phillies vs Braves NRFI (-130)

Let's start things off with an early game, shall we? Zack Wheeler is enjoying a fantastic season for the Philadelphia Phillies, compiling a 1.42 ERA in the first inning while allowing three or fewer runs in 16 of his 19 starts. Wheeler is coming off consecutive stellar performances in which he allowed just three runs over seven innings in each, and I think he gets off to a strong start today.

But I've got faith in Charlie Morton for the Atlanta Braves too, who hasn't allowed a first inning run in five consecutive starts. He's improved his ERA each month of the season, and with today being his first August start we should see another stellar outing. The Phillies score in the opening frame less than 20% of the time on the road. With how well Morton is pitching, I love the NRFI in this early matchup.

Cubs vs Cardinals NRFI (-115)

Chicago Cubs' starter Justin Steele is a pitcher I'm looking to back often in the second-half of the season. He followed up a 3.03 ERA in June with a 2.11 ERA in July and he's been stellar in the first inning.

Steele ranks in the 92nd percentile in barrel percentage and 83rd in hard hit percentage, so he does a fantastic job of initiating weak contact.

Miles Mikolas, meanwhile, allowed two or fewer runs in eight of his last 10 starts and has a 2.31 ERA at home. The Cubs score in the first inning on the road only 26% of the time, so I like the odds that both of these pitchers throw up a scoreless opening frame.

Athletics vs Angels NRFI (-150)

This is a lot of juice, but we've got two flaming-hot starting pitchers in James Kaprielian and Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani is an a whole different planet right now. If you remove a poor start against the Braves, Ohtani has a 0.69 ERA over his last seven outings.

Ohtani has at least 10 strikeouts in six straight starts, and I don't see Oakland's poor lineup getting to him today. But the Angels lineup isn't much better, and James Kaprielian allowed three or fewer runs in six of his last seven outings.

Trust both pitchers and relish the opportunity to fade these pathetic offenses.

Follow all of Joe Summers' betting picks here.