Best NRFI Bets Today: Back the Reigning AL Cy Young Winner on Opening Day

While the Los Angeles Dodgers top of their order are in a tier of their own, the reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal possesses more than enough talent to neutralize their production. Before their highly anticipated matchup, we target the pitchers duel between Paul Skenes and Sandy Alcantara as both pitchers get the benefit of throwing against a pair of underwhelming offenses who struggle to get on base.

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Detroit Tigers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - Tarik Skubal vs. Blake Snell (7:10 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-155) at BetMGM Sportsbook

It was a dominant 2024 campaign for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they steamrolled their competition enroute to a World Series championship. Even though their offense finished the season ranked top-4 in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Total Runs Scored, and On Base Percentage, sustaining their top ranked marks against the Detroit Tigers will be a challenge as they face off against the best pitcher in the league with Tarik Skubal taking the mound.

After winning the AL Cy Young award last season, Skubal has seemingly picked up from where he left off as he was dominant throughout Spring Training. Skubal excelled at keeping opposing batters off the bases and out of scoring position as he finished the preseason with an ERA of 2.33 and a WHIP of .828 while averaging over one Strikeout per inning. His back end also plays a key role in his success as the Tigers rank near the top of the board in Defensive Efficiency.

As for Blake Snell, the Dodgers pitcher struggled to get into a groove as he finished Spring Training with an ERA of 7.71 and a WHIP of 1.500. While it is a small sample size, it’s still an alarming performance for a pitcher who got off to a slow start last season. Fortunately for the former Cy Young winner, Snell is in a position to round back into form as he faces off against a Tigers offense who ranks below league average in Team Total Hits and in On Base Percentage.

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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Miami Marlins - Paul Skenes vs. Sandy Alcantara (4:10 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-160) at BetMGM Sportsbook

After nearly winning the NL Cy Young as a rookie, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year award winner Paul Skenes has the opportunity to carry over his momentum into this season as he gets a favorable matchup against the lowly Miami Marlins on Opening Day. Even though Skenes uncharacteristically put runners on base at a high rate during Spring Training, the Pirates emerging superstar was able to leave them stranded as his ERA of 2.50 indicates.

Unless Skenes loses full control of his command, getting on base and in scoring position will be a major struggle for a Miami Marlins offense who finished last year ranked near dead last in On Base Percentage. Even with health back on their side, the Marlins are severely lacking the competitive talent that is needed to combat against Skenes and his elite blend of power and accuracy. Especially after trading away Luis Arraez last season to the San Diego Padres.

On the other side of the mound, Sandy Alcantara makes his return after taking last year off due to injury. Alcantara showed he is still capable of pitching at a high level as he finished Spring Training with a WHIP of .973 and zero Earned Runs in all five of his starts. Like Skenes, Alcantara also gets the benefit of throwing against an anemic offense as the Pirates rank in the bottom half of the board in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Total Runs Scored, and On Base Percentage.

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Best YRFI Bets Today

• Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Yankees - Freddy Peralta vs. Carlos Rodon - With Freddy Peralta continuing to struggle after a roller coaster of a 2024 campaign, the Brewers pitcher is vulnerable to getting beat early as he faces off against the reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge and the vaunted Yankees top of their order.

• Baltimore Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays - Zach Eflin vs. Jose Berrios - While the Toronto Blue Jays offense struggled as a whole last season, their top of the order is still very productive and are capable of getting into scoring position from the opening pitch with Bo Bichette kicking things off.

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