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 August 18. 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 August 18. Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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MLB NRFI and YRFI Picks – August 18
Seattle Mariners vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
First Pitch – 1:35 pm EST
PNC Park – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast – MLB TV
We’ve rode this NRFI in back-to-back days and in back-to-back days we hit. The reasons are unchanged from the last couple days. The Mariners are 30th in batting average, 30th in offensive strikeouts and 27th in runs scored. There’s no reason to trust that they would score at all, never mind early in the game. Some might think you’d want to fade Jake Woodford of the Pirates with with 5.87 ERA, but he’s actually been sharp as a starter. In his last two starts, he’s thrown 11.0 innings and has allowed just one earned run. This lineup shouldn’t give him any problems.
The other side of the offensive coin might be better, but not by much. The Pirates are 29th in the majors in first inning runs and are barely better across the rest of the game. They’ll also face a much more difficult pitcher in George Kirby. He got ripped last time out against the Tigers, but was solid in the four previous starts. He allowed just seven runs in that span in 23.1 innings pitched. Three outs should be well within his reach.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for August 18: No (TBD)
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago Cubs
First Pitch – 2:20 pm EST
Wrigley Field – Chicago, Illinois
Broadcast – MLB TV
The Blue Jays offense has not been all that hot. They rank in the bottom third of the league and now that they’re out of the playoff race, they seem to be a bit less motivated. Seeing Shota Imanaga won’t help that fact. He’s given up just five runs in his last two starts (12.0 innings), and while that may seem like a bigger number than you might like, you have to consider the competition. The Twins and the Guardians are hitting way better than Toronto, and as a result, I trust that he can get us three outs at home.
The Cubs are also in the bottom third of the league in terms of runs scored. They’re not much better in the first inning, where they rank 19th. They’ll face Bowden Francis, who might not be a household name, but has been pretty darn good. In his last two starts, he’s allowed just three runs in 12.0 innings – one of those games being against the Orioles, which is not an easy task. On top of that, he has 15 strikeouts in that span and that’s good enough for me to think that he can pitch out of a jam should he get into one.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for August 18: No (-150)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NRFI picks for August 18, 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.
