Best NRFI Bets Today: Expect Jesus Luzardo to Round Back Into Form

After a slow start to the year, expect Jesus Luzardo to round back into competitive form by attacking a Cincinnati Reds offense who struggles with making contact. At the same time as their opening pitch, we turn our attention towards the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Tigers with both underwhelming lineups facing off against a pair of productive arms on the mound.

Looking for more MLB betting insights? Check our selection of the Best MLB Home Run Predictions Today.

Best NRFI Bets for Tuesday, May 19

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Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies - Chase Burns vs. Jesus Luzardo (6:40 PM, EST)

Expect the Cincinnati Reds struggles on offense to continue to persist against Jesus Luzardo as the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher excels at creating Whiffs.

Under 0.5 Run (-110) at BetMGM Sportsbook

After failing to break .500 in their last ten games, the Cincinnati Reds have stumbled down to last place in the NL Central division standings. This latest skid has caused their NL Central odds to plummet, as bettors and fans alike lose faith in their ability to stay relevant in the divisional race. Their lack of production on offense holds them back from being a well rounded unit, fielding a lineup who ranks below league average in Hit Rate, Runs Scored, RBIs, and in On Base Percentage.

Unfortunately for the Reds, their struggles on offense will be on full display against the Philadelphia Phillies as they battle it out against Jesus Luzardo who is currently averaging a FIP of 2.91. While his Opposing Hit Rate is a cause for concern, Luzardo is able to mask it by generating more than one Strikeout per Inning Pitched.

Locked into a pitchers duel with Luzardo is Chase Burns, whose phenomenal campaign has sent him soaring up the latest Cy Young odds, averaging an ERA of 1.87 while generating less than one Hit Against per inning. With the Phillies grading out equally as poor in On Base Percentage and in OPS, expect Burns to continue to keep them out of scoring position by avoiding contact.

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Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers - Parker Messick vs. Keider Montero (6:40 PM, EST)

With the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians struggling to generate Hits, expect no Runs to be scored in the first inning with two arms who excel at avoiding contact taking the mound.

Under 0.5 Run (-125) at BetMGM Sportsbook

After a hot start to the year, Detroit’s bats have cooled off, dropping the Tigers 5.5 games back from Cleveland for first in the AL Central in the process. This recent slide has caused a noticeable shift in the latest AL Central odds, making this head-to-head divisional series absolutely crucial for Detroit to regain lost ground. Their inability to string together their Hits has played a major role in their regression, stumbling down to the bottom half of the board in Contact Rate.

Against the Cleveland Guardians, expect the Tigers to continue to struggle to make contact as they face off against Parker Messick who is averaging an ERA of 2.35 and a FIP of 2.98. Especially with his back end narrowing the width of the Tigers gaps in the outfield with their coverage, surrounding Messick with a group who ranks in the top-10 in Fielding Percentage.

On the other side of the field, Keider Montero is projected to get the start for Detroit, bringing with him an arm who is averaging a WHIP of 0.992 and less than one Hit Against per Inning Pitched. With the Guardians also ranking below league average in Hit Rate, expect Montero to neutralize their bats at the plate and keep a clean sheet in the first inning.

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Best YRFI Bets Today

• Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins - Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Zebby Matthews - With Minnesota ranking in the top-15 in On Base Percentage and in OPS, expect the Twins to get into scoring position from the opening pitch as they face off against Lance McCullers Jr. who is averaging a FIP of 5.05 and a WHIP of 1.525.

• Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres - Emmet Sheehan vs. Griffin Canning - With the Los Angeles Dodgers ranking near the top of the board in Hit Rate, expect the reigning World Series champions to open up the scoring in the first inning as they battle it out against Griffin Canning who is averaging an ERA of 10.64 and over two runners on base per inning. With their relentless offensive firepower consistently on display against struggling arms, it is easy to see why Los Angeles continues to sit atop the latest World Series odds.

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