Best NRFI and YRFI bets today (Cubs, Marcus Stroman are great NRFI target)

Happy Monday, or should I say, "Happy trade deadline eve!"

The balance of power in the MLB could shift quite a bit in the next two days so we have to stay on our toes from a gambling perspective.

Starters could get pulled from starts or a team’s best hitter could end up on the bench because of trade talks. Anything can happen over nine innings, so let’s just focus on inning No. 1. 

We know that Marcus Stroman is staying on the Chicago Cubs, so let’s head to Chicago for one of our first inning bets of the day. 

Best NRFI bet today

Andrew Abbott will take the mound for the 11th time this year and he comes in with a 1.90 ERA. While I’m expecting some regression from him today, I'm not expecting it in the first inning where the Cubs score the fourth fewest runs of any team in baseball.

Chicago’s 0.39 first inning runs per game rank 27th. 

Marcus Stroman, Chicago’s starting pitcher tonight, actually ranks fifth among all starting pitchers in first inning ERA with a 1.64 mark.

I’ll back Stroman early and fade the Cubs offense, at least for three outs. 

Best YRFI bet today

This year, George Kirby was one of the best first inning pitchers by ERA until his last start. In that one he allowed four runs in the first inning to the Twins before settling in and getting through four innings.

His first inning ERA has now jumped to 3.60 and could keep going up against Boston because the Red Sox have been great offensively in July. 

Nick Pivetta, on the other side, has been so bad in the first inning that he got moved to the bullpen for stretches this year and has had an opener at different times.

Today Boston will let him try to get the first three outs, but that’s a great chance for a YRFI bet because he has a 11.25 ERA in the first inning this year. 

Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change