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 July 31.
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 July 31. Come check out what we have cooked up for this slate of games.
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MLB NRFI and YRFI Picks – July 31
Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds
First Pitch – 7:10 pm EST
Great American Ballpark – Cincinnati, OH
Broadcast – MLB TV
The majority of the majors has the day off on Thursday, and that should be no different for the Braves bats. They might as well have taken the majority of the last week off the way they’re hitting. They’re 1-7 over their last eight games and are scoring just 3.63 runs per game in that stretch. Over one-third of that offense came in the lone victory, leaving just 2.71 runs per game in those losses. You could put a pitching machine out there and I think I would still like the NRFI against the Braves. However, it will be a much harder task than that. All-Star Andrew Abbott and his 2.09 ERA get the ball in this one one. He should breeze through this lineup the first time through without so much as a sweat.
The bottom of the inning should be a bit more of a sweat, but it’s not like the Reds are pouring on the runs right now either. They have scored just eight total runs over their last three games going into Wednesday’s action (and had put up just two runs in 7.0 innings at the time of publication Wednesday night). They’ll face the Braves newest addition, Carlos Carrasco, who maybe doesn’t have stats that strike fear into opponents’ eyes. He does have one thing though, and that’s a perfect 0.00 ERA in the first inning this year. That’s all we care about here and I think he can keep it going for us in a plus-money play.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for July 31: No (+100)
Texas Rangers vs. Seattle Mariners
First Pitch – 9:40 pm EST
T-Mobile Park – Seattle, WA
Broadcast – MLB TV
Thursday’s nightcap features some pitching that has seen better days as well. George Kirby is not the Cy Young candidate that Mariners fans and brass alike were dreaming of. However, it’s been the third time through the order where he really gets burnt. In fact, if you just look at the first four innings of the game, he’s been lights out lately. In his last five starts, he’s allowed just three total runs in the first four innings. He’s allowed eight runs in any inning after that. That comes out to a 1.35 ERA in the first four innings, and a 7.91 ERA after that. Luckily, all we care about it the early game, and he should handle that easily.
Kumar Rocker has a similar look to Kirby when it comes to the early part of the game. He’s given us a scoreless first inning in six of his last seven starts – with his last one being the only anomaly. One of those games was against these Mariners – a game that he looked phenomenal in. He threw just nine pitches in the first and retired the side in order. Across the entire game, he went 6.0 strong and allowed just two earned runs with six strikeouts. With the Mariners being a below average team in the first inning, I think he should be able to do that again for us.
NRFI/YRFI Bet for July 31: No (-130)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NRFI and YRFI picks for July 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.
