Best NRFI Bets Today: Tarik Skubal to Make a Statement

Plenty of productive pitchers take the mound for Monday’s small slate, giving us plenty of NRFI opportunities for us to wager on. One NRFI that immediately sticks out is in the matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers as current AL Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal takes the mound in an attempt to pad his lead for the award. We then turn our sights towards the New York Mets and Washington Nationals with two anemic offenses taking the field. For more information about the NRFI market and what factors into them being worth a wager, check out our breakdown of Daily No Run First Inning.

When looking to make a wager on a NRFI, it’s vital to have access to as many sportsbooks as you have available to you in order to line shop the very volatile market. Each sportsbook also has their own unique signup bonus, giving new users a headstart with their bankroll during the MLB season. The FanDuel sportsbook for example is giving new users $150 in bonus bets for simply creating an account and winning their first bet of at least $5 wagered. Be sure to wager the $5 on a heavy favorite immediately after signing up, maximizing your chances of winning and collecting the $150 in bonus bets.

Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers - Tarik Skubal vs. Nathan Eovaldi (8:05 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-139) at FanDuel

It’s been a roller coaster of a year for the Detroit Tigers who were as high as first place in the AL Central division standings before hitting a slump and dropping down to fourth. Their offense has been practically non-existent, ranking well below league average in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Runs Scored, and On Base Percentage. An oddity for a unit that is filled with young potential filled prospects poised to take the next step forward with their production.

As for their defense, that has been a strength for the Tigers as they currently rank above league average in Defensive Efficiency. A big reason for their uptick in defensive production stems from their pitching staff, a group that features three starting worthy arms with current AL Cy Young contender Tarik Skubal leading the charge. After ranking second to Corbin Burnes, Skubal now has a firm lead for first as of writing.

Skubal has excelled in nearly every start to his season so far, showing a high level of consistency. He comes into the contest with an ERA of 2.01, a WHIP of 0.821, 80 Total Strikeouts, just 44 Hits Allowed, and 15 Earned Runs Against. Every bit of his production will be needed against the Rangers offense who ranks above league average in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Total Runs Scored, and On Base Percentage.

As for the Rangers, they trot out Nathan Eovaldi who gets the opportunity to make quick work of an anemic Tigers batting lineup with the support of a top-6 ranked defense per Defensive Efficiency. Eovaldi certainly has the arm to continue to give the Tigers offense fits as he comes into the contest with an ERA of 2.84, a WHIP of 1.195, just 34 Hits Allowed, and 14 Earned Runs Against in 8 total games played.

Bet on Under 0.5 Run (-139) at FanDuel

New York Mets vs. Washington Nationals - Jose Quintana vs. MacKenzie Gore (6:45 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-125) at FanDuel

Shortly before our first NRFI gets underway, we target the NL East divisional matchup between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals as scoring opportunities should come far and few inbetween. The New York Mets are already dealing with internal struggles as player frustrations boil over while negative regression looms large over the Nationals who have played well above preseason projections.

Starting with the Mets defense, they trot out Jose Quintana who has struggled mightily so far this season. Normally a player you would want to avoid as he takes the mound with an ERA of 5.06 and a WHIP of 1.364, but his struggles may be mitigated against a Nationals offense that has been as equally as bad. The Nationals offense comes into the contest below average in On Base Percentage, Team Total Hits, RBIs, and Total Runs Scored.

As for the Nationals, negative regression looms large for a team whose metrics do not match their early season success. Luckily for them, they get the opportunity to excel once again off the arm of MacKenzie Gore who has been the lone bright spot for the Nationals. Gore comes into the contest with an ERA of 2.91, a WHIP of 1.278, 72 Total Strikeouts, 58 Hits Allowed, and just 19 Earned Runs Against in 11 games played.

Bet on Under 0.5 Run (-125) at FanDuel

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