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College basketball may dominate the headlines with the last two rounds of March Madness set to kick off, but there is still all day MLB action for our viewing pleasure. Better yet, there are two YRFIs that I love during the evening leading up to the start of March Madness. For more information about YRFIs and the various factors that play into making them valuable, you can read it here.
As for where to wager on the YRFI market, the FanDuel sportsbook has been the best app to use since the start of the 2024 season. FanDuel routinely puts out YRFI lines before everyone else, as well as at the more favorable odds per the rest of the market. Better yet, new users can receive $200 in bonus bets for simply signing up and winning their first bet of at least five dollars wagered. Be sure to wager five dollars on a heavy favorite with your first wager, maximizing your chance of winning and collecting the bonus bets.
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After coming into the season as an intriguing Cy Young prospect, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has severely underwhelmed in his hyped season debut. His struggles stemmed from his lackluster spring training, finishing the preseason with an ERA of 8.38, a WHIP of 1.966, nine hits allowed, four batters walked, and nine earned runs against in just three games played.
His regular season debut did not fare better, starting the 2024 season with an ERA of 7.50, a WHIP of 1.167, six hits allowed, and five earned runs against. An unfortunate start for the highly touted rookie, but he is now a fade target until he shows that he can be a dominant pitcher that made him so highly sought after.
As for the Cubs, they trot out Jordan Wicks who has played at a moderate rate but moderate is not good enough to survive the Dodgers elite top of the batting order. Wicks started his 2024 campaign off on a good note, finishing spring training with an ERA of 2.53, a WHIP of 1.078, and six earned runs against in five games played.
His 2024 regular season debut did take a noticeable dip in production in comparison to his spring training results, starting with an ERA of 4.50, a WHIP of 2.000, five hits allowed, three batters walked, and five earned runs against. Opposing batters have had no issue with making contact and have kept their momentum going by bringing in their base runners.
His lack of command is especially alarming against a top of the Dodgers batting order that features Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith. All dangerous batters that bring an elite blend of power and contact ability, now being in a great position to start the scoring early against a regressing Jordan Wicks.
Shortly following the previously mentioned YRFI, we turn our attention towards the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds as they both field productive batters and underwhelming pitchers. While the Reds offense got off to a good start with their hot bats, the Mets have been a roller coaster in production. They started the year out cold, but have now looked to regress back towards the mean after two straight wins.
The Mets now get a chance to continue to build their momentum against the Reds Nick Martinez who has steadily dipped with his pitching production throughout spring training and his regular season debut. After allowing only three earned runs against in three games played in spring training, he has already given up three earned runs against in his regular season debut. Look for Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor to pressure him early on, especially if he continues to hang balls across the middle of the plate.
As for the Reds, they have been a mainstay in this daily piece as they field a dangerous batting lineup with exceptional contact ability. Scarier yet, their batting production stems from a young group of prospects, meaning that they still may continue to improve throughout the season while already being a threat to win the NL Central. Against a reeling Luis Severino who started the year with an ERA of 5.40 and a WHIP of 1.400, expect the Reds to get runners in scoring position early and often.
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Kody Malstrom is a sports betting journalist with six years of writing experience in the industry. He covers an abundance of sports, including College Football, NFL, College Basketball, NBA, and more. Born and raised in Michigan, Kody is a devoted Detroit Sports fan and spends his Sundays rooting for the Detroit Lions while telling himself this year is the year they win it all. When not staring at betting markets, Kody spends his free time at the beach in the summer or snowboarding in the winter.
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