Navigate

Top MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Odds, Picks & Predictions: Thursday (Yankees/Astros)

by |

It's one of the rarest days of the year - the Sports Equinox! All four major North American sports will be in action today as we have the Yankees taking on the Astros, the Cardinals hosting the Saints on the gridiron, 12 NHL games, and a pair of NBA matchups.

I'm still focused on baseball at this point, and here's why I'm riding with No Runs First Inning (NRFI) in game two of the ALCS tonight in Houston.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

View the best player prop bets for tonight's slate with our MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet >>

New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros

The Astros took game one of the series last night thanks to a trio of home runs from Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick, and Jeremy Pena. Houston held on to win 4-2 behind a 6.0-inning effort from Justin Verlander, while Ryan Pressly slammed the door and earned the save. These two division winners are back at it tonight with a pitching matchup featuring Luis Severino and Framber Valdez. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:37 p.m. ET from Minute Maid Park.

Severino is set to make his second postseason start this evening, and he'll be looking to rebound after a tough outing against the Guardians on Saturday. The right-hander threw 5.2 innings and allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out six. It was a no-decision effort that New York lost 6-5. During the regular season, Severino went 7-3 over 19 starts with a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP.

Valdez will also make his second start of the playoffs tonight, and he was serviceable in a 4-2 win over Seattle on Thursday. The southpaw went 5.2 innings and limited the Mariners to a pair of earned runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out six batters in the no-decision effort. As for his regular season numbers, Valdez made 31 starts and posted a 17-6 record with a 2.82 ERA (11th) and 1.16 WHIP (24th). It's also worth noting that the left-hander made history, setting a single-season record of 25 straight quality starts, edging out Jacob deGrom's 24 straight in 2018.

Keeping it with Valdez, he's performed well against the Yankees over his career, limiting them to a .208 batting average over 53 at-bats (11 hits). The only hitter that really stands out is Giancarlo Stanton, who's 4-8 (.500) with a double and home run off the lefty. But if Valdez can work around the slugger, he should be able to keep a clean first inning. As for Severino, the Astros are 33-126 (.262) against him, with three home runs and five doubles. However, in two starts against the Astros this year, the righty has limited Houston to a .186 batting average and posted a 1.00 WHIP over 12.0 innings of work. With this being a crucial game in the series, I expect both starters to bring their best stuff. Let's lock in NRFI in H-Town tonight. 

Bet: Yankees at Astros NRFI (-155 via DraftKings)

Bet $5, Win $200 on Any MLB Moneyline


Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts

Whether you're new to sports betting or a betting pro, our How To Bet and Sports Betting Strategy and Advice pages are for you. You can get started with our How To Section - including How to Avoid the 7 Biggest Sports Betting Mistakes - or head to more advanced strategy - like Thinking Like an Expert Sports Bettor - to learn more.

Try Premium for FREE in our mobile app

BettingPros App