Some people like to sweat out a bet for 9 hard innings – others like immediate satisfaction. Count us as being in the latter, which is why we like to get down with MLB NRFI and YRFI picks. And we’ve decided to pass that knowledge on to you with our NRFI bets for May 16. Go here for MLB World Series odds.
Of course, there are plenty out there taking blind guesses at this stuff. It’s easy to pick the best hitting team or look at what happened in the last game. However, we spent the time pouring through the analytics to make sure that we give you the best odds to stay in the green on these NRFI and YRFI props for May 16. Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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MLB NRFI and YRFI Picks – May 16
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Chicago Cubs
First Pitch – 7:40 pm EST
Wrigley Field – Chicago, Illinois
Broadcast – MLB TV
The Pirates are amongst the worst at scoring runs in the majors. They rank 23rd in scoring runs in the first inning (0.39 per game) and are even worse across the whole game. They’ve scored just 3.70 runs per game on the season (good for 26th in the majors). It likely won’t help that they’ll face last year’s big breakout for the Cubs, Justin Steele. Steele got roughed up a bit by these same Pirates last time but otherwise has been lights out. I like his chances to right the ship and get us that NRFI.
On the other side of things the Cubs’ offense has been much better. They rank 11th in the majors in runs scored and are even a touch better in the first inning. However, now they have to face the electric arm of Jared Jones. While all the attention has been on Paul Skenes, Jones has been the rookie to watch for the Pirates. He carries a 2.68 ERA into Thursday’s action with 56 strikeouts in just 47.0 innings.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for May 16: No (-150)
Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros
First Pitch – 8:10 pm EST
Minute Maid Park – Houston, Texas
Broadcast – ESPN+
This is an NRFI play where I’m really only sweating out half of the inning. The top half should be a breeze, with Cristian Javier heading out to the hill to face this Oakland offense. The righty’s ERA is a bit high thanks to his last start, but prior to that, he had allowed two or fewer runs in every start this season. The Athletics are 24th in runs scored and 29th in first inning runs, so neither makes me worry about Javier all too much.
Now, the Astros offense is something that usually makes us sweat. However, they’ve been a lot worse this year, ranking just 14th in terms of runs. They’ll face rookie Joey Estes, who is making his fourth career start. So why is it that I’m trusting him to get us an NRFI here?
He looked improved this year with an increased emphasis on keeping the ball in the park. It paid off in his season debut against the Mariners, where he went 5.0 innings and allowed just one earned run.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for May 16: No (-115)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NRFI picks for May 16, check out the MLB Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar with their MLB picks today.
