MLB NRFI Betting Odds, Picks for Tuesday, July 2: Skubal vs. Woods Richardson Offers Game of the Day

Tuesday features a full 15-game MLB schedule with all 30 teams in action. There are some intriguing pitching matchups, and teams at the top of the standings will go head-to-head.

Great pitchers like Reynaldo Lopez, Tarik Skubal and Nathan Eovaldi are going, and NRFIs — No Run First Inning — are an increasingly popular way for baseball fans to get in on the betting action. With NRFIs, you bet that neither team will score a run in the first inning.

Let’s take a look at some of today’s MLB games and make our favorite NRFI predictions for Tuesday, July 2 from the top US bookmakers.

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MLB NRFI Selections for Tuesday, July 2

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates’ Mitch Keller takes the rubber today, and the 28-year-old is having the best season of his career. He has a 9-4 record with a 3.20 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 98.1 innings pitched. After an inconsistent start to the season, Keller has been excellent the last two months, including not allowing a run in the first inning in his last 10 appearances.

Keller’s opponent is the Cardinals and veteran left-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson. The 26-year-old is having a resurgent season with a 3.70 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, both of which rank him in the top 50 in baseball. Gibson has been solid early in games, allowing just one run in the first inning in his last eight starts.

San Diego Padres vs. Texas Rangers

The Padres and Rangers should be one of the best matchups in the majors today, with an excellent pitching matchup on tap. The Padres’ Dylan Cease is coming off one of his best starts of the season. Cease pitched seven innings, struck out nine with no runs and gave up just one hit in a win over the Nationals. A recurring trend for Cease has been his strength early in games. In Cease’s last 11 starts, he has thrown a scoreless first inning in seven of them.

The Rangers have one of their most consistent pitchers on the mound, Nathan Eovaldi. He has a 3.45 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP this season. But most importantly, he has been solid in most of his outings. In his 13 starts this season, Eovaldi has allowed just three runs in the first inning and none in his two starts.

NRFI Pick of the Day: Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins

Tarik Skubal starts for the Tigers on Tuesday and he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball this season. With a 9-3 record, 2.32 ERA, 112 strikeouts and an 0.94 WHIP in 97 innings pitched, Skubal is a top contender for the AL Cy Young award. The left-handed ace has also excelled in the early going, allowing one run in the first inning in his last nine outings.

The Twins counter with Simeon Woods Richardson, who, after an early call-up, has cemented his place in the Twins rotation. He has a 3.41 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Richardson has made 13 appearances this season and has given up just one run in the first inning this season.