MLB NRFI & YRFI Predictions, Picks — Monday, June 9

MLB NRFI & YRFI Predictions, Picks — Monday, June 9 article feature image
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Pictured: Jeffrey Springs. (Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images)

My picks posted in the app over the weekend went 2-1 for a solid profit, as the lone loss was a half-unit single team line.

Let's keep that going into the week, where I have two plays on Monday.

Let's dive into my MLB NRFI and YRFI picks and model predictions.

Quickslip

MLB NRFI, YRFI Picks — June 9, 2025

Phillies vs. Cubs NRFI/YRFI Prediction

Phillies Logo
Monday, June 9
6:45 p.m. ET
SNY
Cubs Logo
NRFI -125 (Play to -130)
BetMGM Logo

Starting Pitchers: Zack Wheeler vs. Matthew Boyd

One of the reasons I'm interested in this game is that it's the rare spot where DraftKings has the best NRFI price in the market — and DraftKings is offering a YRFI/NRFI profit boost today.

There's another spot to use that profit boost token so the strategy comes down to your book availability. If you can get the -125 offered at BetMGM for this one, that would be my first choice. If not, take the boosted price of +106 at DraftKings.

Boyd and Wheeler have first time through the order numbers of 2.03 and 1.50 respectively, which is the biggest factor in my projection. We've also got solid pitching weather that cuts scoring by about 7% (over a 100+ game sample size), according to Weather Edge.

While both offenses are solid, this is a chance to test the adage that good pitching beats good hitting. I suspect it will, at least for an inning.

Athletics vs. Angels NRFI/YRFI Prediction

Athletics Logo
Monday, June 9
9:38 p.m. ET
MNNT
Angels Logo
YRFI -110 (Play to -125)
DraftKings Logo

Starting Pitchers: Yusei Kikuchi vs. Jeffrey Springs

If you're able to bet the other game at BetMGM this is my preferred use of the profit boost, since it takes the line to a very solid +118 at DraftKings.

Springs is one of my favorite pitchers to pick on for YRFIs, as he has a 4.72 overall ERA as a starter but a 6.75 first time through the order ERA as a starter. While the Angels are on the wrong side of their platoon splits overall against the lefty, two of their first four projected hitters (Zach Neto and Taylor Ward) are on the better side.

The A's are also projecting fairly well due to the strength of the top of their lineup. While Kikuchi is better both overall and early, the A's are on the stronger side of their platoon splits overall, and both of their first two hitters have wOBAs of .400 or higher against lefties since the start of last year.

Plus, Kikuchi is due some overall regression, since he has a 3.23 ERA and all of his ERA predictors are 4.52 or higher.

About the Author
Billy Ward has been passionate about fantasy sports since the 1990s and pursued a career as an MMA fighter, turning pro at 21 before returning to college to finish his degree. He has notable achievements in fantasy sports and DFS, including qualifying for the DraftKings UFC DFS world championship and five-figure wins in NFL DFS and best ball. Now a member of the Action Network’s predictive analytics team, Billy specializes in NFL, MLB, and combat sports, managing DFS player projection models and contributing to podcasts and live betting shows.

Follow Billy Ward @Psychoward586 on Twitter/X.

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