Best NRFI Bets Today: Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto Take the Ball

The best pitcher in baseball takes the ball on Friday in Paul Skenes. He will face off against Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has also been exceptional for the Dodgers, making this game a perfect NRFI matchup.  

FanDuel Sportsbook is excellent for NRFI wagers, and the slate has some juicy bets on Friday. New customers on FanDuel can get $250 in bonus bets if their first $5 wager wins on the site after registering through our exclusive FanDuel link.

Dodgers vs. Pirates - Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Paul Skenes (10:10 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-156) at FanDuel Sportsbook

If you like great pitching matchups, you must watch Dodgers vs. Pirates. Los Angeles is the best team in baseball, but they should have trouble hitting the ball against Pittsburgh. 

The Pirates have underperformed this season, but they have their star on the mound in Paul Skenes. Skenes has been a monster this season, picking right up from where he left off in 2024. 

Skenes is 2-2 because he hasn’t received a lot of offensive support, but his key metrics are fantastic. Skenes has a 2.87 ERA with a 0.80 WHIP. 

He has fanned 30 batters in 31.1 innings. He has allowed just 21 hits and ten earned runs in this span, so I trust him to deliver early in this game. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been a great addition to Los Angeles. He has been better than Skenes, which is remarkable, with a 0.93 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. 

Yamamoto has struck out 38 batters in 29 innings, and Pittsburgh’s offense leaves a lot to be desired. Yamamoto has faced better offenses all season, and this should be a relatively easy matchup for the Japanese star.

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Braves vs. Diamondbacks - Chris Sale vs. Zac Gallen (9:40 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-120) at Sportsbook

Chris Sale is the defending National League Cy Young winner, and Zac Gallen has this same capability at some point in his career. Neither pitcher has delivered consistently this season, but they have shown signs of greatness this year. 

Sale is 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP. He has allowed 31 hits in 23.1 innings of work. He has 32 strikeouts in 23.1 innings, which is critical for getting out of jams. 

Gallen is 1-3 with a 5.6 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He has allowed 26 hits in 27.1 innings and also has better than one strikeout per inning. 

Neither pitcher has found their stride, but they know how to attack great offenses. I expect each pitcher to be at their best in this high-stakes game. 

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Best YRFI Bets Today

• Red Sox vs. Guardians - Tanner Houck vs. Ben Lively - Tanner Houck has pitched well against bad teams, but the Guardians should hit early and often. 

• Blue Jays vs. Yankees - Jose Berrios vs. Carlos Carrasco - The Yankees offense, led by Aaron Judge, is batting .415. It’s hard to get a NRFI with the Yankees.

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