Best NRFI Bets Today: Young Aces Headline Saturday’s Games

Today’s slate of games features a few of the league’s most exciting young pitchers on the mound. Paul Skenes, Shane Smith, and Garrett Crochet have all looked like aces early in 2025, but will they be able to keep that momentum rolling today?

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Cleveland Guardians vs. Pittsburgh Pirates - Ben Lively vs. Paul Skenes (4:05 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-125) at Caesars Sportsbook

The Pirates are one of our favorite NRFI teams this season. The lineup has the second-worst batting average in the league (.197), giving us the confidence to back Guardians’ starter Ben Lively (0-2, 4.87 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) in the first inning of today’s game. The 33-year-old hasn’t looked sharp to start the season, but he also hasn’t allowed a first-inning run. That streak will continue tonight.

The Pirates will have the electric Paul Skenes (2-1, 2.96 ERA, 0.74 WHIP) on the mound today. Outside of a rough day against the Cardinals, the righty has looked just as sharp as he did last season. Cleveland has some dangerous bats, but will be seeing the 22-year-old for the first time. That will give Skenes an advantage, at least for the first time through the lineup. 

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Chicago White Sox vs. Boston Red Sox - Shane Smith vs. Garrett Crochet (4:10 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-105) at Caesars Sportsbook

The White Sox will have one of their most promising young pitchers on the mound in Shane Smith (0-1, 2.04 ERA, 0.91 WHIP). The rookie has been fantastic in his last few starts, including his most recent one, which came against the Red Sox. The righty held them scoreless over five innings, and he will do so again in this afternoon’s opening frame.

Boston will be turning to their new young ace in Garrett Crochet (2-1, 1.38 ERA, 0.88 WHIP). They signed the 25-year-old to a big contract, and he has been even better since. Across three starts in April, he has a 0.86 ERA. He’ll be facing the worst offense in baseball, which also happens to be his former team. Expect Crochet to dominate this game, starting with a 1-2-3 first inning.

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Best YRFI Bets Today

• Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs - Zac Gallen vs. Ben Brown

We love this YRFI bet for two reasons. First is that Cubs’ starter Ben Brown hasn’t been able to recapture the magic from his rookie 2024 season. He was great against the Dodgers in his last start, but look for him to fall back down to Earth today.

The other reason we love this bet is Zac Gallen. The ace has allowed a first-inning run in two straight games as he continues to struggle on the mound. The Cubs haven’t hit Gallen well in the past, but they’ll face a worse version of the star today. 

• Washington Nationals vs. Colorado Rockies - Brad Lord vs. Kyle Freeland

This is a matchup taking place in the league's most hitter-friendly park. The lineups aren’t great, but they’ll be facing a pair of struggling starters on the mound this afternoon. Brad Lord (0-1, 4.82 ERA, 1.93 WHIP) and Kyle Freeland (0-3, 4.88 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) are both failing to miss bats, leading to some ugly numbers. Expect to see offensive fireworks early and often today.

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