After another 1-1 split on Wednesday, SBR's Dustin Saracini eyes a sweep with his best No Run First Inning (NRFI) bets for Thursday, August 14th (63-50, +3.0u YTD):
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago Cubs (-125 at DraftKings)
Matt Boyd (2.46 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (4.21 ERA)
NRFI record: Blue Jays (59-62) vs. Cubs (60-59)
"Matthew Boyd has been pitching out of his mind this year, and so yes, we'll be tailing him as part of our best NRFI bets today.
Of his last eight starts, five (!) have been shutouts, including an eight-inning, four-hit gem against the New York Yankees in July. While the Blue Jays have been posting solid numbers against the left-hander, they haven't seen this version of Boyd, who has been turning himself into an ace this season.
On the other side, we're relying on Father Time, Max Scherzer. He's done a pretty solid job against the top three in the Cubs' order, including Kyle Tucker, who's 1-for-8 with three strikeouts lifetime versus the veteran. Let's get six simple outs here."
Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins (-170 at FanDuel)
Tarik Skubal (2.35 ERA) vs. Bailey Ober (5.16 ERA)
NRFI record: Tigers (67-55) vs. Twins (57-63)
"You don't need me to sit here and tell you to tail the Cy Young odds favorite Tarik Skubal as part of our best NRFI bets today. But just in case you do, he owns this Twins team. Minnesota has recorded just a .184 xBA against Skubal across 63 plate appearances, which should be enough to get us three outs.
Bailey Ober will take us home. Kerry Carpenter (.257 xBA) and Gleyber Torres (.138 xBA) have been enduring a tough time against the towering 6-foot-9 right-hander. That will allow us to cross the finish line sweat-free.
I'd price this play closer to -200 betting odds than the -170 we're getting with FanDuel and at the majority of our best sports betting apps. Let's take two tonight."
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago Cubs (-125 at DraftKings)
Matt Boyd (2.46 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (4.21 ERA)
NRFI record: Blue Jays (59-62) vs. Cubs (60-59)
"Matthew Boyd has been pitching out of his mind this year, and so yes, we'll be tailing him as part of our best NRFI bets today.
Of his last eight starts, five (!) have been shutouts, including an eight-inning, four-hit gem against the New York Yankees in July. While the Blue Jays have been posting solid numbers against the left-hander, they haven't seen this version of Boyd, who has been turning himself into an ace this season.
On the other side, we're relying on Father Time, Max Scherzer. He's done a pretty solid job against the top three in the Cubs' order, including Kyle Tucker, who's 1-for-8 with three strikeouts lifetime versus the veteran. Let's get six simple outs here."
Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins (-170 at FanDuel)
Tarik Skubal (2.35 ERA) vs. Bailey Ober (5.16 ERA)
NRFI record: Tigers (67-55) vs. Twins (57-63)
"You don't need me to sit here and tell you to tail the Cy Young odds favorite Tarik Skubal as part of our best NRFI bets today. But just in case you do, he owns this Twins team. Minnesota has recorded just a .184 xBA against Skubal across 63 plate appearances, which should be enough to get us three outs.
Bailey Ober will take us home. Kerry Carpenter (.257 xBA) and Gleyber Torres (.138 xBA) have been enduring a tough time against the towering 6-foot-9 right-hander. That will allow us to cross the finish line sweat-free.
I'd price this play closer to -200 betting odds than the -170 we're getting with FanDuel and at the majority of our best sports betting apps. Let's take two tonight."