Best NRFI Bets Today, May 24

Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians - Michael Kopech (RHP) vs Cal Quantrill (RHP)

First Inning Tie (-130 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians are in similar spots at this point in the season. The White Sox are 20-30 and 8-17 on the road, while the Guardians are 21-27 and 10-13 at home. The first-inning tie in today’s early start is appealing because neither offense can hit the ball. Both pitchers on the mound have been shaky at times, but the offenses in this game should have a hard time putting the ball in play. 

Michael Kopech will throw for the White Sox. He has a 4.83 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Over 50.1 innings, he has only allowed 39 hits, but he does miss locations. These misses lead to homers, but Cleveland doesn’t have a lot of pop at the top of their order. Cal Quantrill will throw for the Guardians, and he is allowing one hit per inning pitched this season. However, he has a better WHIP than Kopech, and this Chicago offense has been cold. The first-inning tie is a safer play than the NRFI because if the White Sox score in the top half of the first, the bet is still alive. 

San Francisco Giants vs Minnesota Twins - Anthony DeSclafani (RHP) vs Joe Ryan (RHP)

First Inning Tie (-155 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The San Francisco Giants will conclude their road trip in Minnesota this afternoon. This game has all the makings of an under, with two fantastic pitchers on the mound. Anthony DeSclafani will throw for the Giants. He is 3-3 with a 3.09 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Over 55.1 innings, he has only allowed four homers. Any pitcher that limits the long ball is ideal for trusting in the first inning. The quickest way to kill an NRFI or first-inning tie bet is by home runs. 

Joe Ryan will take the ball for the Twins, and he is 6-1 with a 2.25 ERA and a 0.89 WHIP. Over 56 innings, he has allowed 42 hits and struck out 66 batters. The Giants' offense cannot score by hitting the ball all over the field. They’ve won by home runs this season, but Ryan keeps the ball in the yard. He has only allowed four homers in his time on the mound, and we see this trend continuing on Sunday. 

St. Louis Cardinals vs Cincinnati Reds - Steven Matz (RHP) vs Ben Lively (RHP)

Over 0.5 Runs Scored in First Inning (-140 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

We should see a lot of runs in the first inning of the Cardinals and Reds game on Wednesday. The wind is blowing out in Cincinnati, and the total is set at 10.5 runs. Ben Lively has been strong for the Reds, but he has only thrown 11 innings and will face a hot Cardinals offense. Lively hasn’t gone deeper than 5.2 innings this season against the Yankees, where he allowed two runs on the day. 

Cincinnati has a great chance of scoring in the first inning because they’ll face Steven Matz. Matz has been one of the worst pitchers in the Cardinals' organization, as he is 0-5 with a 5.05  ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. He has allowed seven homers in 46.1 innings and frequently leaves the ball up in the zone. The combination of Matz’s poor pitching with the wind blowing out is a sign to bet the YRFI in this spot. The first inning has been a trouble spot for the pitcher, and these woes should continue today. 

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