MLB NRFI/YRFI Best Bets Today: Expert Picks & Predictions for Saturday’s Slate (7/29/23)

All 30 teams are in action again on Saturday, highlighted by a key series between the Angels and Blue Jays as well as Rays-Astros and Brewers-Braves matchups. There aren’t many big-name starters set to take the hill, so where can we find some value on NRFI bets? Let’s take a look at some of the NRFI best bets and odds for July 29.

MLB Best NRFI/YRFI Bets for July 29

Here’s a look at the best NRFI and YRFI bets from Saturday’s slate of games.

Yankees vs. Orioles NRFI (-113)

Aaron Judge is back for the Yankees, making NRFI bets a bit more of a risk for this offense-starved team, but there’s still reason to believe a scoreless first is in the cards on Saturday.

Coming off back-to-back losses, the Orioles continued to look rusty at the plate on Friday and are facing a pitcher with a 3.02 ERA over his last 11 starts. Clarke Schmidt has been much better for the Yankees after a slow start and should be able to continue what Gerrit Cole started on Friday. Judge walked three times on Friday and it still didn’t translate to runs for the Yankees.

A Judge home run is always a threat in the first, especially with Tyler Wells having allowed a whopping 23 homers this season. Aside from home runs, Wells has done his job, keeping hits to a minimum and leading the AL with a 0.99 WHIP. The Yankees aren’t clicking offensively, and Wells can take advantage of it early on.

Twins vs. Royals NRFI (+100)

Jordan Lyles has been a disaster this season, but his home and away splits are pretty drastic. Lyles is holding hitters to a .216 AVG at home compared to .291 on the road, and his 4.91 ERA – while not great – is a huge step up from a 7.52 road ERA.

Against a Twins lineup that doesn’t have much going for itself outside of Edouard Julien’s midseason surge, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Lyles start Saturday’s game off on a positive note.

It’s never a surprise to see a pitcher facing the Royals start off strong. Kansas City ranks as one of the league’s worst offensive teams, and Ober has a terrific 2.76 ERA with a sub-1 WHIP. Ober has allowed a first inning run in only one of his last 10 starts and should be in for more success against the lowly Royals on Saturday if his track record is any indication.

Angels vs. Blue Jays YRFI (-122)

Is Alek Manoah officially back to form? If he is, we haven’t seen it yet. Yes, Manoah has been better than he was before he was demoted, but nine walks between his last two starts are a huge concern. If he can’t get his control in order, the Angels have a chance to strike early on Saturday.

Shohei Ohtani (if in the lineup) has been an on-base machine since the all-star break and can punish Manoah if he doesn’t pitch around him. Luis Rengifo and Mickey Moniak have also been reliable of late — in fact, the entire Angels lineup has given Ohtani a surprising amount of protection.

An early Angels run would be no surprise, nor would one for the Blue Jays against Reid Detmers, who has been inconsistent all season. Detmers’ strikeout rate is way up, but the Blue Jays don’t strike out often. Can contact hitters like Bo Bichette start an early rally? It’s certainly possible.