Best NRFI Bets Today, July 14

Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Mets - Julio Urias (L) vs Justin Verlander (R) 

Under 0.5 (-115 at PointsBet)

The first bet on our NRFI card for Friday comes from New York, as the New York Mets will host the Los Angeles Dodgers to start the second half of their respective seasons. This game features an excellent starting pitching matchup, with Julio Urias leading the Dodgers into battle against Justin Verlander and the Mets. Both starting pitchers are well-rested and should be able to bring this game to the second inning with no runs on the board.

While Urias and Verlander have both failed to live up to the Cy Young hype that followed them into this season, they are both dangerous to opposing hitters. Urias is 6-5 with a 4.76 ERA, while Verlander enters this game with a 3-4 record and a 3.60 ERA. But both men should have the upper hand on lineups that are just coming back from the All-Star break.

It will also be interesting to see how Pete Alonso performs at the top of the Mets lineup after participating in the Home Run Derby. The derby is typically not great for power hitters returning in the second half of the season. It could negatively impact Alonso’s swing straight away, helping Urias to shut the Mets down in the bottom half of the first inning in this marquee matchup in Queens.

Miami Marlins vs Baltimore Orioles - Sandy Alcantara (R) vs Dean Kremer (R)

Under 0.5 (-110 at DraftKings Sportsbook)

Next, expect a scoreless first inning to unfold when the Miami Marlins and Baltimore Orioles face off on Friday night. This interleague matchup between East division teams features another solid pitching matchup, as Sandy Alcantara and Dean Kremer take the hill for their respective teams. Both starters should be able to do just enough to keep their opponents off the scoreboard by the time the second inning takes place.

While Alcantara has not lived up to the hype this season, after a unanimous Cy Young season in 2022, he is still more than capable of hanging zeroes on the board. Alcantara is just 3-7 on the year, with an ERA of 4.72. If the Marlins are going to have any success in the second half of the season, Alcantara’s improvement will be a big part of that, and he should get off to a strong second-half start here.

On the other side, Dean Kremer is 9-4 with a 4.78 ERA, though he has allowed 20 home runs so far this season. Fortunately for Kremer, the biggest threat in the Marlins lineup is a player in Luis Arraez who hits for contact rather than power. As long as Kremer can keep Miami in the park in the first inning, we should see this NRFI wager cash.

Milwaukee Brewers vs Cincinnati Reds - Corbin Burnes (R) vs Cincinnati Reds (R) 

Under 0.5 (+106 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

The final NRFI bet on our Friday MLB card comes from Cincinnati, as the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds start a huge NL Central series. The Reds come into this game with a one-game lead over the Brewers, making this a huge contest to kick off the second half. As a result, expect both teams to come out and mow the opposition down with their pitching to set the tone against one another.

Of course, having Corbin Burnes on the mound for the Brewers will be a big help for betting the NRFI market in this game. Burnes is 7-5 on the season and has brought his ERA down to 3.95 on the year after some early season woes. The pre-season Cy Young favorite should continue to pitch at a high level here in a game that the Brewers need to even things up in the Central going into the weekend.

Meanwhile, Graham Ashcraft is on the mound for the Reds, who has really struggled this season. He has a 4-6 record and a concerning ERA of 6.28. But Ashcraft faces a Brewers team that ranks in the bottom-10 in runs scored on the season, and he should be able to force the Brew Crew into a scoreless top of the first.