Best NRFI Bets Today: Paul Skenes Starts in Chicago

Paul Skenes is one of the best pitchers in baseball and he toes the rubber against a divisional opponent on Friday. I have two NRFI wagers on my card with value.

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Pirates vs. Cubs - Paul Skenes vs. Cade Horton (2:20 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-155) at Caesars Sportsbook

A pair of NL Central teams square off on Friday with the Pirates and Cubs. Paul Skenes has posted another dominant season and will start against Cade Horton. 

Skenes is almost automatic in the first inning in 2025 making him one of the best NRFI pitchers in the game. He has a 1.88 ERA and is averaging over a strikeout an inning which is essential when betting a NRFI. 

Skenes could easily have the best record in baseball if he received any run support for Pittsburgh’s offense. In his last three starts he has pitched 22.1 innings allowing just one earned with 22 strikeouts. 

Horton has posted an impressive year as he is 3-1 with an ERA of 4.11. He is doing everything Chicago has asked him to do and put them in positions to win. 

The Pirates are hitting .230 as a club in 2025 which is the fifth worst in baseball. Chicago has been quite the opposite as they are hitting .258 as a team, but Skenes is indestructible.

The total for this game is 7.5 which is one of the lowests on Friday’s slate. I trust the pitchers ability to dominate the first inning to cash this first NRFI.

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Giants vs. Dodgers  - Logan Webb vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10:10 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-140) at Caesars Sportsbook

Logan Webb will toe the rubber for San Francisco against Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Los Angeles. These pitchers are both elite at striking out their opponents, which is why I’m in on the NRFI. 

Webb is 5-5 with a 2.58 ERA to go with 101 strikeouts in 87.1 innings. He has one of the best strikeouts per inning in the league and is capable of escaping traffic on the bases. 

Yamamoto comes into this matchup at 6-4 with an ERA of 2.20. He has fanned 86 batters in 73.2 innings and has a WHIP of 1.00. Yamamoto is very similar to Webb in working out of big innings by strikeouts. 

It can be scary fading these offenses as the Dodgers hold the best team batting average in the league at .265. With this being said, Webb is a veteran arm that has pitched in these spots throughout his career. 

The Giants don’t swing the bats as well as the Dodgers, hitting .231 as a team. Yamamoto should have no problem in the first inning with the Giants. 

With both pitchers having big time strikeout ability, I trust them to stay ahead in the count and escape the first inning with no runs. 

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Best YRFI Bets Today

• Angels vs. Orioles - Jack Kochanowicz vs. Charlie Morton - Both pitchers have an ERA north of 5.00 and have struggled tremendously in 2025. The combined record for both pitchers is 5-14.  

• Rockies vs. Braves - German Marquez vs. Bryce Elder - Marquez is 2-8 with an ERA of 7.00. Elder hasn’t been that impressive in 2025 either.

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