15 games between 30 teams are set for Tuesday across Major League Baseball. Plenty of squads are taking the field, giving bettors ample opportunity to place some player props. That includes a few NRFI wagers (No Runs in the First Inning); in the blink of an eye, you can cash in. However, figuring out which pitchers thrive early and which lineups struggle is key.
Ahead of today’s MLB action, here are two NRFI bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Royals at Rangers NRFI (-120)
The Kansas City Royals are excellent at preventing runs. Their offense doesn’t like to return the favor. They’ve been a bottom-10 squad in NRFI rate this year and a bottom-five offense overall. Even against a struggling Rangers starter in Jack Leiter, I’m not overly confident in this KC team getting off on the right foot unless Bobby Witt Jr. has some heroics in his bat.
This Texas offense hasn’t fared much better. They’ve already fired a hitting coach this year and are also in the bottom 10 in NRFI rate and total offense. As if things weren’t dire enough, they must face Seth Lugo in this one. The 35-year-old has pitched at a Cy Young level since arriving in Kansas City last season.
Bad pitcher against worse offense. Bad offense against an elite pitcher. This smells like an NRFI to me.
Guardians at Giants NRFI (-145)
The Guardians have been an NRFI machine this year. Cleveland’s NRFI rate is 77.14% going into Monday’s slate. That alone would make them a strong candidate for the best NRFI bets on the board. On top of that, the Guardians have to face off with Giants starter Robbie Ray. The 33-year-old is back to his Cy Young self for San Francisco.
While this Giants offense is expected to welcome Rafael Devers into the lineup on Tuesday, they’ve struggled to record first-inning runs this season. Their 75% NRFI rate is the eighth worst in baseball so far. At their home ballpark, which loves to crush the dreams of fly ball hitters, I’m counting on a clean inning for Guardians starter Slade Cecconi.
