Best NRFI Bets Today, August 1

Philadelphia Phillies vs Miami Marlins - Ranger Suarez (L) vs Sandy Alcantara (R)

Under 0.5 (-130 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

The first of our MLB NRFI selections for Tuesday is for things to remain scoreless in the first inning between the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins. Both teams are sending pitchers with high ceilings to the mound for this contest. Expect both of them to deliver early on, in a game with major implications in the NL Wild Card race in South Florida.

This game features Ranger Suarez and Sandy Alcantara on the hill to start things off in the first inning. Suarez is just 2-5 but has a respectable 4.22 ERA, while Alcantara is 4-9 but has an acceptable 4.46 ERA. Both men are better than their win-loss numbers have shown so far this year, and that is something we will see on full display at the beginning of this matchup.

Look for both pitchers to try and set the tone early given what is on the line when these teams play. These teams are separated by just a half-game in the NL Wild Card race, as both teams are currently in the top three in the Wild Card standings. Both pitchers will be doing everything they can to keep their teams in those top-three Wild Card spots, and that will mean setting the tone in the opening inning of action.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs San Francisco Giants - Zac Gallen (R) vs Alex Cobb (R)

Under 0.5 (-135 at BetMGM)

An even better pitching matchup will unfold in San Francisco on Tuesday night, as the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants tangle in the Bay Area. This is another game with massive Wild Card and NL West implications. And with two of the best pitchers in the National League starting this game on the mound, we should find another scoreless first inning of play waiting in the wings.

Zac Gallen has been the frontrunner to win the NL Cy Young for most of this season. He has a record of 11-5 and an ERA of 3.36 on the season. Alex Cobb has also been in the mix for the NL Cy Young for much of the year, as he has posted a 6-3 record and a 2.97 ERA of his own. Both men have proven themselves more than capable of shutting opponents down and will do that early in this game.

It is also worth noting that the Giants have played a very NRFI style of baseball throughout the 2023 season. They have been shut out in the first inning at a higher percentage than all but eight teams in baseball this year. They have also shut opponents out in the first inning more frequently than all but nine teams, and their history of NRFIs on both sides will be the driving force behind this NRFI play.

Baltimore Orioles vs Toronto Blue Jays - Kyle Bradish (R) vs Hyun Jin Ryu (L)

Over 0.5 (-125 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

Our final first-inning total wager for Tuesday is a YRFI bet from North of the border. There, the Toronto Blue Jays will host the Baltimore Orioles, in a battle of two offenses that are more than capable of putting runs on the board. We expect them to do just that, thanks in large part to a re-debut of a key arm in the Blue Jays rotation.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has not pitched since June of last season, as he has finally worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. While that will be a good thing for the Blue Jays in the long run, Ryu will need some time to reclaim his old form at the major league level. Expect him to give up some early offense to the Orioles as he works to rediscover what made him so effective in the first place.

Making things more difficult for Ryu and the Jays in this game is the fact that they are facing an Orioles team that ranks 10th in MLB in runs scored. Explosive contact is a huge part of the Orioles’ identity, and they will put that identity to good use against the returning Ryu to cash this YRFI selection.

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