Thursdays in the MLB generally provide a smaller slate, as transition day for teams between their midweek and weekend series. However, that does not mean there isn't value out there. That's why we've broken down all the day's matchups for you. Better yet, we have our best bets for whether or not a run will be scored in the 1st inning to get you paid as quickly as possible. Rather than sweating out a 3-hour game, these take just about 15 minutes. Although it's a smaller slate, there are still games starting in the early afternoon and all throughout the evening. Along wit h these early plays, be sure to check out our thoughts on the side and total for all of today's games.
Let's take a closer look at my 2 favorite YRFI bets for today.
Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets YRFI (-105)
We're kicking things off being quite the contrarian. Predicting a run in the 1st inning in a game that features 2 starts with 13 and 11 wins may seem ridiculous. However, it limits the juice, and we're not only targeting it just for that reason. First and foremost is the Braves and their stacked lineup. Specifically, the top of their order is loaded. Led off by Ronald Acuna Jr, they have 3 of the league's best right behind him. Dansby Swanson has the 4th-most hits in the National League, Matt Olson has the 2nd-most doubles in the entire league, and Austin Riley has the 2nd-most home runs in the NL.'
The argument is that Carrasco didn't allow a run in the 1st inning throughout July. However, he faced the Marlins, Cubs, and Rangers in 4 of his 5 starts, all teams below .500. His 2 starts prior were against the Astros, and they lit him up for 4 runs in the 1st inning of each of those games. Similarly, Kyle Wright has been great for the Braves this season. However, the Mets scored 2 runs on him in the 1st inning in his only start against them. That's just part of what has the Mets as the highest scoring team in the 1st inning at home. With this game Citi Field in New York, expect these teams to give the Bronx Bombers (Yankees) a show while they rest on Thursday.