Skip to content
logo
Search Icon
​
Log InSign Up
Top Bets
Top Bets
My Bets
My Bets
Portfolio Lab
Portfolio Lab
Help
Help
Categories MLB

Best YRFI and NRFI Picks Today: Nothing Like Hammering the Worst Teams in Baseball (August 21)

Updated August 21, 2023 | 1:31 pm CDT by Eytan Shander
Today's best NRFI bets and YRFI plays include a play on the Dodgers-Guardians game featuring Noah Syndergaard...

Things are winding down for another long MLB season but not without a bunch of playoff races tightening each day. It is not always about teams this late in the year when picking NRFI plays, as both pitchers and hitters can start to wear down. Even a big name on a playoff-bound team can have his moments of looking more like a fifth starter. The goal here remains to identify the largest gaps in matchups between starting pitching and a team’s top three hitters. Here are the best NRFI and YRFI bets across the board for Monday, Aug. 21.

First-inning bets are some of the most enjoyable sweats in the MLB betting business. If you want to start making money on your NRFI and YRFI picks, OddsShopper has you covered. Check out our guide to NRFI and YRFI betting and come back each day for the best NRFI and YRFI bets — we post daily NRFI and YRFI articles, and our MLB bet shopping pages integrate data from industry-leading betting model to find NRFI and YRFI picks with positive expected value (+EV) each day. If you’re hungry for more than just the picks we post for free, sign up for OddsShopper Premium today — new users can get their first month for 70% off.

React App

Best Offers in Ohio

Ohio
State

Best YRFI and NRFI Bets Today: No Run First Inning Bets

San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies YRFI (+102, BetMGM)

The Giants are essentially punting this game when they need to make up some ground on Philadelphia. They will start an opener and move to the bullpen, with hopes the Phillies bats are on the cold side of their rotating extremes. Unfortunately, that will not be the case for San Francisco, as Philadelphia showed a sign of life or two late in last night’s loss to the Nationals. The bats are starting to come back to life, and that is a bad sign for anything bullpen-related for the Giants. Aaron Nola goes for Philadelphia as he tries to stabilize a season that has seen him pitch anywhere from an ace to a dud. The Giants have some tough outs atop their lineup and should not fall right into Nola’s 25.4% strikeout rate. Between the Giants going opener to pen and the Phillies sending their most inconsistent pitcher tonight, anything at plus money for a YRFI is a great bet.

Kansas City Royals at Oakland Athletics YRFI (+104, BetMGM)

The Royals are dead last in their division, 46 games under .500, and have been dead for months. That is still not as bad as the A’s right now. The best way to sum up tonight’s game and series might simply be these two teams are playing for money in contracts. That’s it. The good news in sending a bunch of younger guys to the plate with nothing but their futures to play for is getting immediate results against bad pitching. Paul Blackburn has done an admirable job in keeping baseballs from getting launched out of the park, but he is still beatable at the plate, with a .252 xBA. Yes, his strikeout rate is not horrible at 22.9%, but it comes in spurts and he will have to get at least two to keep the opening frame scoreless. Tucker Davidson is the best culprit for allowing runners and runs in this scenario, as he is coming in with just a 21% strikeout rate on the year. Davison is also struggling with contact, posting a 334 xwOBA and .278 xBA. The A’s are dangerous against bad pitching and will certainly find a way on the basepath if their starter does not give up a run first.

Texas Rangers at Arizona Diamondbacks YRFI (+107, BetMGM)

Two teams with playoffs on the mind clash in Arizona. The focus in this game is on the offense, rightfully so after looking at the pitching matchup. The home team will shuffle out Slade Cecconi for just his third start this year. It has not been great in his previous two, and now he faces an offense as good as any team in the AL. The Rangers mix power and hitting for average while limiting strikeouts — not a great formula for a pitcher still getting his feet wet in the majors. The Rangers counter with Jordan Montgomery, who has had plenty of mileage to determine he is just not that good. Struggling with a 22% strikeout rate combined with a .252 xBA, expect Montgomery to give up an early base hit, then watch Arizona wear him down for an early run. Mistakes will be made, which equals baserunners, which equal runs.

Categories MLB
Best MLB Player Props to Watch Today: Picks for Andrew Benintendi, Shohei Ohtani (August 21)
NFL Betting Cheat Sheet: +EV Side, Total & Player Prop for NFL Bets Today (August 21)
Eytan Shander

Author

Eytan Shander

Long time radio host and TV analyst currently working in Philadelphia

Next Story

Get a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL Of Portfolio EV Today!

Trending & Related

Home Run Derby 2025 Betting Strategy: How Experts Bet the HR Derby

Best MLB Prop Bets Today: Strikeout Props & More From OddsShopper Experts (June 22)

Best MLB Prop Bets Today: Video Breakdown of Portfolio EV’s Top Strikeout Props (June 20)

Betting 101

ProphetX Sportsbook: How This Peer-to-Peer Betting App Is Changing the Game

PrizePicks Cheat Sheet Today: How to Use a PrizePicks Optimizer

What is Portfolio EV? Guide to +EV Sports Betting

Why Tailing Expert Picks with OddsShopper Tails Is the Best Decision You’ll Make Today

Sports Betting Resources

  • Positive EV NFL Bets
  • Expert NFL Picks
  • Live NBA Odds
  • Positive EV NBA Bets
  • Expert NBA Picks
  • Live NFL Odds
  • NFL Parlay Calculator
  • Positive EV MLB Bets
  • Expert MLB Picks
  • Positive EV College Football Bets
  • Expert College Football Picks

Featured Articles

Get a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL Of Portfolio EV Today!
July 13, 2025 7:47 am | Sam Smith
What is Dinger Tuesday? How to Beat FanDuel’s Promotion
July 10, 2025 11:30 am | Isaiah Sirois
MLB Betting Strategy: 5 Tips for Winning on MLB Betting Sites
July 7, 2025 8:29 am | Dave Loughran
What is a Futures Bet? How to Make Money Betting on Futures
June 20, 2025 9:41 am | Isaiah Sirois
US Open Odds, Picks & Betting Predictions (2025)
June 11, 2025 9:44 am | Ben Rasa
EVEN MORE Stories of Bankroll Building with Portfolio EV — Plus 50% Off Your Next Month!
June 2, 2025 3:10 pm | Sam Smith

Related Articles

Home Run Derby 2025 Betting Strategy: How Experts Bet the HR Derby
July 14, 2025 10:04 am | Sam Smith
Best NRFI Bets Today: Winning Strategy for First Inning Betting
July 13, 2025 8:08 am | Sam Smith
MLB Home Run Betting Strategy: How to Profit on Home Run Bets
July 13, 2025 7:53 am | Isaiah Sirois
Underdog Fantasy Pick’em Predictions Today: Brandon Woodruff (July 12)
July 12, 2025 9:40 am | Danny Burke
Underdog Fantasy Pick’em Predictions Today: Dansby Swanson (July 9)
July 9, 2025 1:06 pm | Danny Burke
MLB Betting Strategy: 5 Tips for Winning on MLB Betting Sites
July 7, 2025 8:29 am | Dave Loughran

How to Bet on Golf Outrights: Tips, Strategy & Expert Advice
July 14, 2025 12:49 pm
Home Run Derby 2025 Betting Strategy: How Experts Bet the HR Derby
July 14, 2025 10:04 am
ProphetX Sportsbook: How This Peer-to-Peer Betting App Is Changing the Game
July 13, 2025 12:25 pm
PrizePicks Cheat Sheet Today: How to Use a PrizePicks Optimizer
July 13, 2025 8:44 am
What is Portfolio EV? Guide to +EV Sports Betting
July 13, 2025 8:09 am
Best NRFI Bets Today: Winning Strategy for First Inning Betting
July 13, 2025 8:08 am
Why Tailing Expert Picks with OddsShopper Tails Is the Best Decision You’ll Make Today
July 13, 2025 8:02 am
MLB Home Run Betting Strategy: How to Profit on Home Run Bets
July 13, 2025 7:53 am
Get a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL Of Portfolio EV Today!
July 13, 2025 7:47 am
Underdog Fantasy Pick’em Predictions Today: Brandon Woodruff (July 12)
July 12, 2025 9:40 am

How Can I Find the Best Sports Betting and DFS App Bonuses?

If you're a new sports bettor, it's hard to know where to start. In fact, it's simpler than it seems, because there are incredible sportsbook bonus codes and DFS app promo codes that are expressly designed to help new players get started building a bankroll. As a new player, it's often correct to focus on taking advantage of as many of these offers as you can. Even better, having access to more books lets you take advantage of line shopping so that you can always get the best payout for your winning bets. Books like BetMGM and bet365 have great first-bet offers for new players. On the DFS App side, operators like Underdog and Sleeper offer matches on your first deposit up to a certain amount. Use the links below to explore the best sportsbook promo codes. Once you get signed up with a bonus, make sure to use OddsShopper's Free Bet Converter to maximize your beginning bankroll

Best BetMGM Bonus Code

Get a bonus code for BetMGM

Best Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code

Get a promo code Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Promo Code

Best DraftKings Promo Code

Get a promo code for DraftKings

Best FanDuel Promo Code

Use a promo code for FanDuel

Best PrizePicks Promo Code

Claim a promo code for PrizePicks

Best UnderDog Fantasy Promo Code

Get a promo code for UnderDog

Join the ranks of the OddsShopper Hall of Fame

  • Free Expert Picks

    • Free NBA Picks
    • Free MLB Picks
    • Free NFL Picks
    • Free NHL Picks
    • Free NCAAB Picks
    • Free NCAAF Picks
    • Free Golf Picks
    • Free UFC Picks
    • Free EPL Picks
    • Free Tennis Picks
    • Free WNBA Picks
  • Positive EV Bets

    • Positive EV NBA Bets
    • Positive EV MLB Bets
    • Positive EV NFL Bets
    • Positive EV NHL Bets
    • Positive EV NCAAB Bets
    • Positive EV NCAAF Bets
    • Positive EV Golf Bets
    • Positive EV UFC Bets
    • Positive EV EPL Bets
    • Positive EV Tennis Bets
    • Positive EV WNBA Bets
  • Betting Tools

    • Arbitrage Opportunities
    • Parlay Builder
    • PrizePicks Entry Builder
    • Underdog Entry Builder
    • Sleeper Entry Builder
    • Free Bet Converter
  • Articles

    • All Articles
    • NBA Articles
    • NFL Articles
    • NCAAF Articles
    • MLB Articles
    • PGA Articles
    • NHL Articles
    • NASCAR Articles
    • MMA Articles
  • Betting Calculators

    • Expected Value Calculator
    • Hold Calculator
    • Parlay Calculator
    • Odds Converter
  • Live Odds

    • Live NBA Odds
    • Live MLB Odds
    • Live NFL Odds
    • Live NHL Odds
    • Live NCAAB Odds
    • Live NCAAF Odds
    • Live Golf Odds
    • Live UFC Odds
    • Live EPL Odds
    • Live Tennis Odds
  • Sportsbook Promo Codes

    • BetMGM Bonus Codes
    • Bet365 Bonus Codes
    • FanDuel Promo Codes
    • DraftKings Promo Codes
    • Caesars Promo Codes
    • BetRivers Promo Codes
    • Sleeper Fantasy Promo Codes
    • Underdog Fantasy Promo Codes
    • Betr Picks Promo Codes
  • About Us

    • Contact Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Stokastic
OddsShopper Logo
© 2024 Stokastic.All Rights reserved.
This site contains commercial content, We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. OddsShopper makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.Please play responsibly. Only customers 21 and over are permitted to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.