It's Tuesday, June 10, so NRFI picks are top of mind. I'm taking a shockingly effective Reds pitcher to lead us to NRFI land. Then I'm going the other direction with a YRFI in Mets-Nationals.
NRFI Pick Today: Reds vs Guardians (-115 at Sportsbook)
Reds vs Guardians Odds – 6:40 p.m. ET
The Guardians are nearly the best NRFI team in baseball, per our NRFI betting report, plus Andrew Abbott is just a machine in the first inning. The soft-tossing lefty has allowed just one single hit in 10 innings. One hit! Opponents are 1-for-30 with a .228 OPS. Not even Paul Skenes rocks these first-inning numbers.
I'm not of the mind to interrupt Abbott's streak, so I'm covered on his end. On the other side, Guards starter Slade Cecconi is coming into his own. He's 4-0 NRFI through his first four starts. Despite a shaky 4.87 ERA overall, he limits the damage to a .350 opponent OPS (1-for-13) in the first inning.
YRFI Pick Today: Nationals vs Mets (+106 at Sportsbook)
Nationals vs Mets Odds – 7:10 p.m. ET
Griffin Canning vs Mackenzie Gore. YRFI (+106). I'll start my pick here by noting how aggressive the Nationals have been in the first inning this season. Washington's .866 OPS is the fourth-best in baseball, underscoring a season-long trend of strong approaches in the first inning.
Now the Nats offense meets Griffin Canning, a pitcher the club hits well. Active Nats hitters own an .842 OPS vs Canning, and guys like James Wood (2-for-5 with a HR) are ready to pop off. The Mets side is solid, too, as New York ranks 11th this year with a .791 OPS in the first inning. The club owns around a .700 OPS
