Best NRFI Bets Today: Back A Pitchers Duel Between the Braves and Giants

We kick off Monday’s slate with a pitcher's duel between a former Cy Young winner and the favorite for this year’s award with the Atlanta Braves Chris Sale set to battle it out against the San Francisco Giants Blake Snell. Before that takes place, we focus on the matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians as both struggling offenses are in a position to struggle against a pair of productive arms.

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 as many sportsbooks as you can get in order to line shop the very volatile market. Each sportsbook has their own unique signup bonus, giving new users a boost to their bankroll to wager with during the MLB season.

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.

Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants - Chris Sale vs. Blake Snell (9:45 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-160) at FanDuel

Both the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants have trended in dramatically different directions since the start of the season. After the Braves swiftly got out to a comfortable lead for one of the wildcard spots, they are now staring down a reality where they may miss the playoffs after entering the year listed as one of the favorites to win the World Series. As for the Giants, they are one of the four teams jockeying for the Braves playoff spot after a slow start to their season.

Should the Giants want to continue to chip away at the Braves lead for the last wildcard spot, then former NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell will need to take advantage of Atlanta’s regressing offense. He has a great opportunity to do so as the Braves come into Monday’s contest ranked well below league average in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Total Runs Scored, and On Base Percentage.

Speaking of regression, Blake Snell continues to steadily round back into form after a rough start to his year. In his last three contests, Snell has combined for an astonishing 34 Total Strikeouts, 6 Hits Against, and 3 Earned Runs Allowed. After his last few performances, Snell’s metrics look far more assuring to back as he takes the mound with a WHIP of 1.101, FIP of 3.11, 44 Hits Against, and 30 Earned Runs Allowed in 12 total games played.

On the other side of the field, current NL Cy Young betting favorite Chris Sale is tasked with shutting down a productive Giants offense. Sale has excelled at limiting the number of opposing scoring opportunities, entering the contest with an ERA of 2.75, WHIP of 1.003, and FIP of 2.25. Every bit of his production will be called upon, especially with the Braves defense regressing to below average in Defensive Efficiency.

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Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Guardians - Shota Imanaga vs. Ben Lively (6:40 PM, EST)

Under 0.5 Run (-130) at BetRivers

Like the Braves, the Chicago Cubs have also grossly underperformed per their preseason projections. After entering the season listed as the betting favorite to win the NL Central division title, the Cubs quickly found themselves down the standings and are currently 8.5 games back from the Milwaukee Brewers. While a division title is most likely out of reach, the Cubs can salvage their season with a playoff berth.

In order for them to do so, their defense will need to continue to mask their lack of offensive production. Current listed pitcher Shota Imanaga is capable of doing just that, boasting competitive metrics even after a lengthy cold stretch of play. With a WHIP of 1.054 and FIP of 3.40, expect Imanaga to make quick work of a Guardians offense that struggles to make contact and get on base at a league average rate.

As for the Guardians, Ben Lively finds himself in a position to put together a productive outing against a Cubs offense that ranks well below league average in Team Total Hits, RBIs, Total Runs Scored, and On Base Percentage. While his Strikeout Rate may be low, so is his Opposing Contact Rate. That signals positive regression looming over his WHIP of 1.169 as the Cubs should continue to struggle with getting into scoring position.

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