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 31. 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 31. Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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MLB NRFI and YRFI Picks – August 31
Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals
First Pitch – 4:05 pm EST
Nationals Park – Washington, DC
Broadcast – MLB TV
For the first half of this NRFI, rookie DJ Herz will hit the bump first. While he’s not the National League rookie pitcher that everybody talks about, he’s had a nice little season for himself. Coming into Saturday’s action, he carries a respectable 3.84 ERA. He’s been even better lately. In the month of August, he’s allowed just six runs in five starts – leading to a monthly ERA of 2.22. That includes scoreless starts against both the Braves and the Brewers. With the Cubs being just a middle of the pack in terms of run scoring, I like Herz’s chances to get us at least three quick outs.
Javier Assad has similarly had an excellent August. He too has kept his monthly ERA below 3.00 – capturing a 2.84 ERA over the course of five starts. His ground ball numbers have peaked as of late as well, which should help him keep the ball in the park. That may not be an issue when you are facing Nationals though. They are in the bottom third of the league in run scoring and the home runs are a real big piece of the reason why. They rank 29th in home runs per game in the league. I expect Javier Assad to exploit that and wrap up that NRFI.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for August 31: No (-115)
Kansas City Royals vs. Houston Astros
First Pitch – 7:10 pm EST
Minute Maid Park – Houston, Texas
Broadcast – MLB TV
This is a game featuring a pair of solic hitting teams, but I’m willing to put my trust in the arms to take us through an NRFI.
The first arm we’re going to put our trust in is Yusei Kikuchi. His August coincides with the Astros trading for him. When they traded for him, he carried a 4.75 ERA. Since that time, he’s posted a 2.89 ERA and posted a 2-0 record over five starts. The Astros also won every one of those games. Between that and the fact that Royals slugger Vinnie Pasquantino is out with a broken thumb, I think he’ll easily get us through the first inning.
The bottom half sees Cole Ragans try to limit these Astros. The Astros have been a little bit less potent on offense this year – ranking just 13th in runs scored. That’ll be just fine for Ragans, who has limited three of his last four opponents to just one run. His numbers are looking up at this stage of the season as well with 34 strikeouts in his last 28 innings and also carrying a 2.89 ERA. We’ll let him bring home our second NRFI for the day.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for August 31: No (-125)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NRFI picks for August 31, 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.
