Best NRFI Bets Today: Locked in on America’s Heartland

Today’s slate of games features some brutal pitching matchups, but two great NRFI bets are on the board. The first comes from a game between the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians and the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. The other involves a game where the Kansas City Royals visit the Cincinnati Reds.

Below, we will share the bets we love from both games, sharing odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. If you are new and looking to give FanDuel a try, be sure to use our custom link for a chance to earn $150 in Bonus Bets if your initial wager of $5+ wins!

Best NRFI Bets Today: Guardians vs. Brewers (7:15 PM EST)

Under 0.5 Runs (-122 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Guardians will have Tanner Bibee (10-4, 3.39 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) starting tonight. The 25-year-old has been fantastic for the Guardians since June 1 and has allowed just four runs over his last four starts (22.1 innings). While he hasn’t gone deep into games, that won’t matter for our NRFI bet tonight.

The Brewers have the third-best run differential in baseball, but we see Bibee having the edge early on. That is due primarily to how well the young starter has pitched on the road this season, where he owns an ERA of 2.88.

The riskiest part of this bet is Brewers starter Freddy Peralta (7-7, 4.11 ERA, 1.22 WHIP). The Crew’s ace has been bad lately, allowing four runs in each of his last two starts. However, those came in tough matchups against the Dodgers and the Braves on the road.

The Guardians have been solid at the plate this season, but much of their damage is coming later in games. They are averaging just 0.45 runs in the first inning, the twenty-second lowest in the league. 

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Best NRFI Bets Today: Royals vs. Reds (6:40 PM EST)

Under 0.5 Runs (-102 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

The biggest reason we love this bet is Michael Wacha (9-6, 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), who will start for the Royals tonight. The veteran is having a great season for the Royals and has been incredibly sharp lately. Since June 1, the starter is 5-1 with an ERA of 2.55. 

Wacha will be set up for success tonight against a Reds lineup that has struggled in 2024. They rank twenty-eighth in batting average and twenty-fifth in on-base percentage. That has led them to average just 0.43 runs in the first inning this season, the seventh-worst mark in the league.

The Reds will have Nock Lodolo (9-4, 3.99 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) starting opposite Wacha. The 26-year-old has been solid for Cincinnati this season and will be facing the Royals for the first time. That is a problem for the Royals in the first inning, as opponents are hitting just .177 the first time they see him.

The top of the Royals lineup is impressive, but they are averaging just 0.33 runs in the first inning of road games in 2024. Given that only three players have faced Lodolo for a total of nine at-bats, we expect to see a quiet first inning tonight. 

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