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MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Odds, Picks & Predictions: Monday (9/4)

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We have a fairly full MLB slate this first Monday of September with 11 games on the board. With the holiday, several games have early start times, with the Royals and White Sox kicking us off at 2 p.m. ET.

Let’s dive in and find our favorite NRFI games on the slate.

Monday’s Best No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Chicago White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals

Pitching Matchup: Jesse Scholtens vs. Cole Ragans

We kick things off with the first game on the board, and that’s mostly just because the matchup is so appealing. Cole Ragans has been arguably the best pitcher in the league since the trade deadline and he is facing a White Sox lineup that has been bottom 10 in the league over the last month. He has generated elite swing-and-miss metrics and does not walk an insane number of hitters, making him a great NRFI bet.

The Royals’ offense is similarly poor over the last month of the season, and Jesse Scholtens is tasked with keeping them off the board. His ERA is decent, and while his underlying skills do not seem to point to a star, he doesn’t walk too many hitters, and he has been excellent the first time through the order. His 0.255 wOBA allowed is elite, and he has done a fantastic job keeping opposing offenses from scoring.

Bet: NRFI (+100)

Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians

Pitching Matchup: Pablo Lopez vs. Lucas Giolito

I usually do not like to take games with odds this high when possible, but the matchup is much too interesting to avoid it. Pablo Lopez has pitched like a front-end-of-the-rotation arm most of this season. While he has actually gotten better as the game goes on, his 0.306 wOBA allowed the first time through the order is certainly solid. The Guardians offense is one of the worst in the league. Though they have several solid hitters at the top of the order, they are by no means an offense to avoid.

Lucas Giolito is making his Guardians debut in this one. His numbers do not point to an ace, but we are betting that Cleveland claimed him with something they think they can correct in his profile. The Twins’ offense has been one of the league’s best for the last month, but they also have a ton of swing-and-misses, which we like to look for when making NRFI bets. The number is higher than I prefer to see, but the matchup on paper looks good enough to pay the price.

Bet: NRFI (-120)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Monday:

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