There were no picks on yesterday's smaller slate following a frustrating 0-2 Wednesday.
Let's get back in the win column on Friday.
I have two MLB NRFI & YRFI model picks and predictions for Friday, August 2.
MLB NRFI & YRFI Bets
Cardinals vs. Cubs
Starting Pitchers: Erick Fedde vs. Javier Assad
This game has a 7.5 run total and two roughly league average offenses (against righties) squaring off.
That's a reasonable starting point for the NRFI.
It's the pitching matchup that really sets it apart, though. Both starters have excellent first-time-through-the-order numbers this year, suggesting that most of the runs will come later in the game.
Fedde's 3.11 overall ERA drops more than a full run to 2.06 his first time through the order.
For Assad, he goes from 3.23 all the way down to 1.85.
The xFIP numbers aren't quite as promising though, so don't pay too much more juice on this one than the current best lines.
Blue Jays vs. Yankees
Starting Pitchers: Kevin Gausman vs. Marcus Stroman
Unlike the previous game mentioned, this one is all about the bats — primarily on the Yankees' side.
New York is the best offense against righties in baseball, with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto both getting guaranteed at-bats in the first inning. The Yanks have an implied team total of nearly five and are driving most of the projection.
Toronto could get us there as well, with Marcus Stroman being a potential regression candidate. He has a 3.64 ERA but a 4.75 xFIP on the season, so he's due for some bad luck.
The Blue Jays are a far cry from the Yankees offensively, but they're a roughly league average unit against righties with a top-10 hitter in baseball — Vlad Guerrero Jr. — getting an at-bat in the first inning.
