Best NRFI Bets Today, June 20

Atlanta Braves - Spencer Strider (R) vs Ranger Suarez (L)

Over 0.5 (EVEN at FanDuel)

Our first best bet on the MLB first inning total markets for Tuesday is a first inning over in the NL East matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite one of the top NL Cy Young contenders pitching to start this game, his recent form combined with some struggles on the opposite side make this YRFI bet worth mixing in with the NRFI wagers that round out the rest of today’s card.

Spencer Strider is that Cy Young contender who is slated to get the start in this matchup for the Atlanta Braves. He leads the league in strikeouts this season and certainly has a high ceiling in every trip he takes to the mound. But Strider has allowed five or more runs in two straight starts, including his last start against the anemic Detroit Tigers offense, and he is going to be vulnerable to some early scoring here as well.

On the other side of this pitching matchup is Ranger Suarez of the Phillies, who has settled himself down after a very slow start to his 2023 campaign. In three starts in June, Suarez has allowed a combined two runs in 20 innings pitched. But no pitcher is safe against the dangerous lineup of the Braves, and Suarez could give up a run in the top of the first before the recently inconsistent Strider takes the hill.

Baltimore Orioles vs Tampa Bay Rays - Kyle Bradish (R) vs Tyler Glasnow (R)

Under 0.5 (-130 at PointsBet)

Back on the NRFI side of things, the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays are a great bet to put on a scoreless first inning on Tuesday night. Both sides are sending quality starting pitching to the mound for this contest. And with there being plenty to play for on both sides in this battle of the top-two teams in the AL East, we should see both teams ease their way into this series opener on Tuesday night.

For the Orioles, it will be Kyle Bradish on the mound, who enters this game having lost his last two decisions, but having issued just two total walks during that span. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has Tyler Glasnow on the mound for this contest. Glasnow has made four appearances total since starting his season on May 27, and has yet to drop a decision, as he has been as good as advertised early on.

The best part of this matchup from an NRFI betting standpoint is the fact that both of these pitchers tend to do a good job of not allowing home runs. In 81.1 combined innings this season, Bradish and Glasnow have given up nine total home runs, for an average of right around one home run per nine innings. As long as they don’t hit that average in the first inning of this game, this NRFI play should cash.

Chicago Cubs vs Pittsburgh Pirates - Marcus Stroman (R) vs Johan Oviedo (R)

Under 0.5 (-136 at FanDuel)

The final selection on our Tuesday MLB NRFI card comes in Pittsburgh, where the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Chicago Cubs. Both of these teams are separated by a half-game in the NL Central standings, in a division that the Cincinnati Reds are suddenly on top of after a nine-game winning streak and the return of Joey Votto. In this battle of the third and fourth-place teams in the Central, a scoreless first inning should be expected.

The pitching matchup for this contest is tantalizing, as Marcus Stroman and Johan Oviedo get the starts for their respective teams. Stroman has become a fringe contender for the NL Cy Young this season, entering this matchup at 8-4 with a 2.45 ERA. Oviedo, meanwhile, has been respectable in his own right with a 4.40 ERA despite his 3-6 record.

On top of the solid starting pitching in this game, the Pirates offense has been struggling, which should help this game go to the second inning with no runs on the board. They have scored just eight combined runs in their last four games, averaging two runs per game during that span. Stroman should shut the Pirates down in the bottom half of the first, after Oviedo does the same to the Cubs in the top half of the inning.

More of Our MLB Picks for Today

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• MLB Player Props June 20