Best NRFI Bets This Weekend: Locked In on the NL East This Weekend

There are many great NRFI bets this weekend, but two stand out above the rest. Both of our matchups feature NL East teams competing for positions early in the season. 

Below, we’ll share both our favorite two bets, as well as insights into both matchups to help you bet confidently at your favorite sportsbooks. All odds we use are from BetMGM Sportsbooks, where new players who sign up using promo code WSNMGM will get a $1,500 First Bet Offer*.

For more betting opportunities check our list of the best MLB betting sites and curated list of MLB promos and bonuses.

Best NRFI Bets This Weekend: Pirates vs. Phillies (4:05 PM EST)

Under 0.5 Runs (+100 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

Our first game today is a battle between Pennsylvania rivals. The NL Central-leading Pirates will travel across the state to take on a Phillies team struggling to find their World Series form from 2023. Both teams have talented lineups, but thanks to an underrated pitching matchup, we see a quiet start to this afternoon’s game.

The Pirates will send Marco Gonzales to the mound to take on Philadelphia. The veteran stated was acquired by the Buccos in the offseason and has not disappointed early on. So far, he has made two starts (Orioles and Nationals), allowing three runs across eleven combined innings. He did not allow a first-inning run in either start. Gonzales faced the Phillies once in Philadelphia last season as a member of the Mariners, allowing one run on four hits across five innings. He did not allow a run in that start until the fifth inning.

The Phillies will also have a newly acquired starter taking the mound tonight in Spencer Turnbull. The 31-year-old was bad in 2023 but missed all of 2022 and most of 2023 with injuries. He has looked like his old self over his first two starts of the season. He faced the Cardinals and the Reds, throwing a combined 11 shutout innings and allowing just five hits and one walk. Turnbull has been great when healthy, and we see him delivering another stellar performance tonight.

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Best NRFI Bets This Weekend: Braves vs. Marlins (4:10 PM EST)

Under 0.5 Runs (-111 at BetMGM Sportsbook)

While these teams have very different records, both are coming off of series losses to New York teams. The Braves lost two of three against the Mets, while the Marlins dropped two of three to the Yankees. Both teams rank in the bottom eight in the league in team ERA, with the Marlins starting at 4.92 while the Braves are just behind them at 5.01. Those are ugly numbers, but we expect a pitchers' duel tonight.

The Braves will have seven-time All-Star Chris Sale starting against the Marlins today. The Braves acquired the oft-injured start in the offseason, and he has been solid across two starts. He faced the D-backs and Phillies, allowing four combined runs on nine hits across 10 2/3 innings. He’ll face a far easier test today as he takes on a Marlins team that ranks twenty-third in runs scored (47). While Sale is no longer the ace he once was, he’ll be good enough to start strong against a terrible Marlins team.

The Marlins will have one of their top pitching prospects on the mound against the Braves: Max Meyer. The third overall pick in the 2020 draft debuted in two starts in 2022, and he is now a full-time rotation member. Meyer has looked sharp through two starts this season, allowing three runs on five hits across 11 innings. No one on the Braves has seen the young star before, and it will take at least once through the lineup to pick up on the stuff that made him one of the Marlins' top prospects.

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