Best NRFI Bets Today, August 16

Philadelphia Phillies vs Toronto Blue Jays - Aaron Nola (RHP) vs Kevin Gausman (RHP)

Under 0.5 Runs (-125 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Phillies and Blue Jays will compete in a critical game with playoff implications on Wednesday night. Both teams are on the cusp of the playoffs with a Wild Card berth, but they must continue to win. The high stakes combined with this game's talent on the mound make us lean toward the NRFI.

Aaron Nola will throw for the Phillies against Kevin Gausman of the Blue Jays. Gausman has been the more consistent of the two pitchers on the bump in this game. However, they both have the strikeout ability to get swings and misses early in this contest.

Nola is 9-8 on the season with a 4.49 ERA. This number isn’t very impressive, but the marks that stand out is his WHIP and strikeouts. Nola has a 1.14 WHIP and has recorded 153 strikeouts in 148.1 innings this season. 

When Nola gets in trouble, he has the ability to get out of jams. He will need this tonight against Toronto. Kevin Gausman will take the ball for the Blue Jays, and he is 9-6 with a 3.04 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. In 139 innings, he has recorded 183 strikeouts. 

Gausman’s unique motion combined with elite pitches is the reason to take the NRFI. Nola should enter the bottom half of the inning with the NRFI still alive, thanks to the pitching ability of Gausman. 

Baltimore Orioles vs San Diego Padres - Dean Kremer (RHP) vs Blake Snell (LHP)

Over 0.5 Runs (-113 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

Placing an NRFI wager in any game involving the Baltimore Orioles is concerning. This team has some of the best young stars in baseball, and they have been hitting all season. The one issue with the Orioles in this spot is they will face Blake Snell. This should limit their early offensive firepower in this matchup. 

Snell has been one of baseball's best pitchers throughout the season. He is 9-8 with a 2.63 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. The WHIP is slightly high because he had a rough start in April. However, since May, Snell has been an NRFI machine, and we should see this again on Wednesday. 

In the past 30 days, opponents are batting just .185 off of Snell. The one concerning part of his game is that he has walked 24 batters in his past 27 innings. Although, he has the strikeout ability to get out of jams. 

The hardest part of this NRFI will be when the Padres face Dean Kremer. San Diego scored 10 runs yesterday, but this hasn’t been the norm. The Padres have consistently underperformed all season, and we’re willing to take a chance on Kremer getting six outs in this contest. 

Kremer has a 2.92 ERA in his past 12.1 innings of work with an OBA of .182. He has been delivering and is worth trusting for this NRFI with a fair price of -113. 

Milwaukee Brewers vs Los Angeles Dodgers - Wade Miley (LHP) vs Clayton Kershaw (LHP)

Under 0.5 Runs (-106 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are one of the toughest teams to NRFI in baseball. They have elite talent at the top of their lineup, which makes it very tough for them not to score a first-inning run. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have been killing NRFI bets all season, but not tonight. 

We believe Wade Miley will shove the top of the roster, and there is no reason not to trust him based on his 2023 stats. Miley is 6-2 with a 2.90 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. He has recorded just 53 strikeouts in 77.2 innings, but he has limited homers and walks. 

Miley is the definition of a pitcher because he needs to win with strategy and location. This isn’t commonplace in Major League Baseball. On the other side, Clayton Kershaw will throw for the Dodgers. 

He should have no issues getting out of this game with a win and a clean first inning. Kershaw is arguably the best pitcher of this generation, and he has shown it this season. Kershaw is 10-4 with a 2.51 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. He has recorded 109 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. 

The former CY Young winner just isn’t an innings eater at this point in his career, but he can still deal, as we have consistently seen this season. Take the NRFI in this spot. 

Feel free to check out other MLB betting sites for more betting opportunities!