Best NRFI Bets Today, May 17

Pittsburgh Pirates vs Detroit Tigers - Rich Hill (LHP) vs Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP)

Under 0.5 Runs First Inning (-125 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates will wrap up their series on Wednesday afternoon. Afternoon games are great for NRFI bets because teams are out of their rhythm. Getaway day contests have been proven to start slow, and this fact pairs perfectly with NRFI wagers. 

Rich Hill will take the ball for the Pirates and is the liability in this contest. The pitcher is 3-3 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. He has allowed 48 hits in 41.1 innings of work. However, the Tigers don’t have the best offense in the game, and if Hill is on, he can neutralize them in the first inning. Detroit’s team OBP is just .297, which is one of the worst in MLB. 

The star of the Tigers, Eduardo Rodriguez, will take the ball. He has been sensational this season. Rodriguez is in line to win the Cy Young with a 1.57 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. Over 51.2 innings, he has allowed just 31 hits with only four homers. Rodriguez keeps the ball down in the zone and should limit Pittsburgh’s offense. Take the NRFI here, and hope Hill can neutralize Detroit’s offense. 

Seattle Mariners vs Boston Red Sox - Marco Gonzales (LHP) vs Brayan Bello (RHP)

Over 0.5 Runs First Inning (-122 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox have been putting together runs consistently. The series' first game saw 11 runs scored, and the second had 13 total runs. The YRFI has hit in both games of the series, and we believe it will hit once again. Marco Gonzales will pitch for the Mariners, and he has a 4.42 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP. His strikeout ability isn’t great, and he is allowing over one hit per inning. 

Brayan Bello will throw for Boston, and he is still trying to find a groove on the hill. The pitcher has a 5.01 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP. Over 23.1 innings, he has allowed 30 hits and five homers. Bello is going to be one of the best pitchers in the league in the coming seasons. Although, he is still trying to get adjusted in his first MLB season. The Red Sox have been over machines in 2023, and it starts by scoring early and often.

Boston is 27-16 against the YRFI this season. The Mariners have gone .500 in this category, but both teams have a lot of pop at the top of their orders. The two teams have combined for 99 home runs thus far, and we expect to see a lot on Wednesday night. 

Minnesota Twins vs Los Angeles Dodgers - Sonny Gray (RHP) vs Dustin May (RHP)

First Inning Tie (-120 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers have one thing in common on Wednesday. They have two elite pitchers on the mound in their series finale. Sonny Gray will throw for Minnesota, and Dustin May will pitch for Los Angeles. Gray is 4-0 with a 1.39 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Over 45.1 innings, he has allowed just 33 hits with 56 strikeouts. He also hasn’t allowed a single homer in his time on the mound. 

May is 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. In 47 innings, he only has 32 strikeouts. Yet, he has allowed just one homer this season. The combination of one homer between the two starters is valuable for no runs in the first inning. To give ourselves a little more protection, we’re going to play the First Inning Tie. If the Twins score in the top half of the first inning, our bet still has a little life. 

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