Best NRFI Bets Today: Expect No Early Runs in a AL Central Showdown

With the winner taking sole possession of first place in the AL Central, Wednesday’s contest between the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians brings an added level of excitement with two productive pitchers set to take the mound. Later in the day, we turn our sights towards the Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins as Chris Sale looks to continue to build on his NL Cy Young award campaign.

For more information about the NRFI market and what factors into them being worth a wager, read out our guide on Daily NRFI Bets.

When looking to make a wager on an NRFI, it’s important to acquire as many sportsbooks as you have available to you in order to line shop the volatile market. Each sportsbook has their own unique signup bonus, giving new users a head start with their bankroll. FanDuel Sportsbook for example is giving new users $200 in bonus bets for simply creating an account and making an initial wager of at least $5.

Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians - Michael Wacha vs. Tanner Bibee (1:10 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-111) at FanDuel

Nearing the halfway point of the season, the Cleveland Guardians had a sizable lead over the rest of the pack in the AL Central standings. That was until they were tasked with the second hardest remaining strength of schedule post All-Star break, now tied with the Kansas City Royals for first with a little over a month left of play.

Should the Royals want to shake up the playoff picture and put themselves in a more favorable position to secure the division title, then their defense will need to take advantage of the Guardians regressing offense. Making contact and getting on base has been an issue for their offense the past few months, coming into the contest ranked well below league average in Team Total Hits and On Base Percentage.

That plays into the Royals' favor as they are expected to roll out Michael Wacha who has excelled at limiting opposing scoring opportunities. In 23 games played, Wacha takes the mound with an ERA of 3.32 and FIP of 3.76. His respectable mark in independent pitching production is especially key in this contest as the Royals' back end continues to struggle with defending at a league-average rate by ranking 19th overall in Defensive Efficiency.

On the other side of the field, the Cleveland Guardians will look to limit the Royals' offensive production off the arm of Tanner Bibee. Bibee has managed to strikeout at a high rate while avoiding contact this season, entering the contest with an ERA of 3.46, WHIP of 1.101, FIP of 3.33, 150 Total Strikeouts, and just 119 Hits Against. Factor in a defense that ranks near the top of the board in Defensive Efficiency, and Bibee should make quick work of the Royals top of their order.

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Atlanta Braves vs. Minnesota Twins - Chris Sale vs. David Festa (7:40 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-127) at BetRivers

Speaking of the AL Central, the Minnesota Twins are also still in contention for the division title as they are just 2.5 games back from the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals. Winning the division title comes with an added bonus this season as all three contenders possess a better record than the AL West Houston Astros. Should the records hold true, the winner of the AL Central will receive a first-round bye while the two losers would have to play in the wildcard round.

The issue for the Twins in their efforts of inching closer toward the top spot of the AL Central is that they are set to face off against the current NL Cy Young award betting favorite Chris Sale. Sale can make a case for being one of the best pitchers in the league this season, taking the mound with an ERA of 2.62, WHIP of 1.016, and FIP of 2.08. While the Twins are a productive offense in their own right, expect their top of the order to struggle against the red hot Chris Sale.

With the Twins offense in a position to stall out, it will be on their own David Festa to get the NRFI to the window. While Festa has severely underwhelmed in his eight starts this season by generating a WHIP of 1.321 and FIP of 4.24, he gets the opportunity to bounce back against an equally struggling Atlanta Braves offense as they enter the contest ranked well below league average in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Total Runs Scored, and On Base Percentage.

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