MLB games are shorter – a full half hour shorter thanks to baseball’s new rules – but that doesn’t make a West Coast game start any earlier.
That’s what we have in mind with our prediction for the New York Mets’ game Wednesday at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In order to give you a win before dinner time, we think this game is prime for a No Runs First Inning wager, aka NRFI.
Starters Max Scherzer and Noah Syndergaard have had rocky starts to the season, but both have history on their side as solid first-inning pitchers.
How good? Let’s take a closer look.
All odds via BetMGM
Spread: Mets +1.5 (+135) vs. Dodgers -1.5 (-160)
Moneyline: Mets (-125) vs. Dodgers (+105)
Total: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (-even)
No runs first-inning: -115 .
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The stats don’t lie: These once dominant pitchers both have had rough starts to the season.
Scherzer has a 2-1 record with a 4.41 ERA in 16.1 innings this season while Syndergaard is 0-2 in 16 innings with an uncharacteristic 5.62 ERA.
Yet the NRFI numbers look much better for the veteran pitchers.
Scherzer (16-year major leaguer) and Syndergaard (eight seasons) have both started three games this season and each have thrown a clean first inning in two of them.
Looking more closely at their NRFI histories show more early dominance.
Last season Scherzer gave up a first-inning run in five of his 23 starts while Syndergaard did so in three of his nine starts after he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Go with the veteran pitchers to be savvy enough to get you through the first inning. And get to dinner on time.