The weekend is here, which means a jam-packed slate of baseball is on tap. 15 games between all 30 teams are scheduled today, making this a must-watch Friday for fans. That also means bettors have several options to cash in, such as an NRFI wager. No runs in the first inning can be tricky, as plenty of pitchers stumble out of the gates. Which arms can you trust tonight?
Ahead of Friday’s MLB action, here are three NRFI bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Orioles vs. Blue Jays NRFI (-120)
The Blue Jays eked out a series win over the Astros, setting them up nicely going forward. To capture the AL East, Toronto will need to take care of business against less talented clubs. That includes tonight’s opponent, the Orioles. With that being said, beating Baltimore won’t be so easy. Friday’s starter, Trevor Rogers, has been dominant this season. Since returning to the big leagues on May 24th, he’s recorded a 1.51 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 87 strikeouts over 95.2 innings. In addition, the southpaw has allowed a first inning run in just one of his 15 starts. Rogers has allowed one run or less in six of his previous seven outings.
On the other side, it’ll be Chris Bassitt on the bump. It’s been an up-and-down season for the veteran, but his overall numbers are solid. Through 161.0 innings pitched, he’s accounted for a 3.97 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and 157 strikeouts. In addition, he’s held opponents scoreless in the first inning 76% of the time. The Orioles have an NRFI rate of 73.29% this year, seventh-highest in baseball. Keeping that in mind, expect Bassitt to keep things scoreless early on tonight.
Rangers vs. Mets NRFI (-130)
Perhaps this evening’s most intriguing storyline, Jacob deGrom will make his long-awaited return to Queens. The former Mets superstar racked up four All-Star nods and two Cy Young awards in his nine years with the franchise. Now, he’ll attempt to pick up a win for a surging Rangers squad. In 2025, deGrom has posted a 2.78 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 169 strikeouts. That’s bad news for a slumping New York offense fresh off of a four-game sweep to the Phillies.
The Mets will counter Texas’ ace with a promising young hurler in Jonah Tong. The rookie has only made a pair of starts thus far, but he’s impressed. Through 11.0 innings, he’s only surrendered five runs (4.09 ERA) to go with 12 strikeouts. It’s not as if Friday’s opponent is an offensive juggernaut. The Rangers have improved at the plate recently, but the team is still without sluggers Corey Seager (appendicitis) and Adolis Garcia (quad). Texas’ hitters have put up the league’s sixth-highest NRFI rate (73.47%). Even an inexperienced arm such as Tong should find a way to navigate this lineup tonight.
Dodgers vs. Giants NRFI (-125)
To wrap things up, we’ll head out West for an old-school grudge match. If you looked at the schedule a month ago, it didn’t seem like this would be a high-stakes contest. The Giants were mired under .500, while the Dodgers held a sizable lead in the NL West. However, San Francisco has reeled off _ wins over their last _ games, and are now _ game out of a playoff spot. The home team will hand the ball to veteran Justin Verlander on Friday. It’s been a mediocre season for the 42-year-old (4.09 ERA, 1.39 WHIP). With that being said, he’s produced a terrific 1.44 first inning ERA. In addition, the right-hander has given up just two earned runs over his previous 17.0 innings (1.06 ERA).
The visitors will send out none other than Yoshinobu Yamamoto tonight. It’s been an exceptional year for the Japanese hurler, who looks more than comfortable pitching stateside. Over 155.1 innings of work, the All-Star has notched a 2.72 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 177 strikeouts. During his last appearance in Baltimore, the righty went 8.2 frames while allowing just one run. When Yamamoto last faced the Giants on July 13th, he tossed seven scoreless innings. San Francisco has been heating up at the plate, but I’m still comfortable siding with Los Angeles’ ace.
