Best NRFI Bets Today, April 18

Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox - Sonny Gray (R) vs Chris Sale (L)

Over 0.5 Runs - MIN vs BOS (-113 at FanDuel SportsBook)

Our first NRFI bet will come from the Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox matchup. These teams' records are not too different, so this game should be close. With that being said, I would give the edge to the Twins. They are 10-6 and in first place in the AL Central. In addition, they have a stronger pitcher coming to the mound in Sonny Gray. He will get through the first inning scoreless, but Boston’s Chris Sale will not. Bet on the YRFI.

As I mentioned above, Sonny Gray will be getting the start for Minnesota. Gray is a unique pitcher. He comes in at only 5’10”. This may not sound short, but it is quite small for a pitcher. Even so, the veteran has become successful in the Majors. He went 8-5 with a 3.08 ERA last year and is 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA this year. Gray has only given up one earned run in 17 innings. Obviously, his ERA will go up as the season progresses, but he will be dominant for now. Gray has not seen much of this Red Sox lineup before but has performed well against Rafael Devers. Devers is only 2-10 against Gray. He will be the most difficult matchup for Gray in the first inning and will very likely not get on base. Gray will get out of the inning scoreless.

Chris Sale will take the mound for the Red Sox. While Gray is relatively small for a pitcher, Sale is quite tall. He measures at 6’6”, making him one of the tallest players in baseball. Sale has been hampered by injuries over the last couple of years and only made 11 combined starts over the previous two years. He is yet to get injured this year (knock on wood) but is not pitching well. He has an 11.25 ERA and 2.08 WHIP through his first three starts. The 34-year-old gave up seven earned runs in his first start and five earned runs in his most recent start. This leads me to believe that he will struggle in this game. The southpaw will face the likes of Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa in the first inning and give up a run. Bet on the YRFI.

Texas Rangers vs Kansas City Royals - Nathan Eovaldi (R) vs Brad Keller (R)

Under 0.5 Runs - TEX vs KC (-128 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

Our second NRFI bet of the day will come from a one-sided game. The Rangers are hot right now, but the Royals are struggling and going through a rebuild. With that being said, two solid starters are taking the mound, so no first-inning runs will be scored. Bet on the NRFI.

Nathan Eovaldi is getting the start for the Rangers. Eovaldi is coming off a strong season that saw him go 6-3 with a 3.87 ERA in 20 starts. He has not had the smoothest transition into this season. Eovaldi is 1-2 with a 6.32 ERA. His previous start was also against the Royals. Eovaldi struck out seven but gave up six earned runs in five innings. However, he did not give up a run in the first inning. Since Eovaldi struggled in his first start against the Royals, I expect him to fare better this time around. The 33-year-old has a better idea of what the Royals’ lineup is capable of and will be more prepared. Eovaldi will not give up a first-inning run.

Brad Keller will take the mound for the Royals. Keller is the #4 pitcher for Kansas City but is having the best start to the season. The 27-year-old enters this game with a 2-1 record and a 2.12 ERA. He threw 6⅔ innings of one-run baseball in his previous outing against the Rangers. I do not know if he will be able to maintain his dominance as the season continues, but I expect him to get through the first inning without giving up any runs. Bet on the NRFI. 

Arizona Diamondbacks vs St. Louis Cardinals - Drey Jameson (R) vs Jordan Montgomery (L)

Under 0.5 Runs - ARI vs STL (-130 at FanDuel Sportsbook)

We are on to our final NRFI bet of the day. This bet will come from the Diamondbacks-Cardinals game. The Cardinals are expected to win this game, but it may be close. Two hot pitchers are getting the start today, so no runs will be scored in the first inning. Bet on the NRFI.

Drey Jameson will take the hill for the Diamondbacks. Jameson is listed as a relief pitcher and would best be described as a long reliever. He has played in four games this season (one start) and has a 1.46 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 12⅓ innings. The 25-year-old threw four scoreless innings in his previous start and struck out four in the process. He will face the likes of Brendan Donovan, Paul Goldschmidt, Alec Burleson, and Nolan Arenado in the first inning. Goldschmidt and Arenado are killers at the plate, but Jameson will work around them this time around the order and leave the first inning scoreless.

Jordan Montgomery is getting the start for the Cardinals. Montgomery, unlike Jameson, is a starting pitcher. He has a 2-1 record, 2.45 ERA, and 1.09 WHIP in three starts this season. Montgomery is taking his strong play last year into this season and dominating on the mound. He has faced very few of these Diamondbacks hitters. Other than Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno, he has not faced any Diamondback more than twice. That will work to his benefit in this game. Montgomery will be able to catch the first few Diamondbacks hitters off guard and get them out. He may struggle a little more the second time around, but he will get out of the first inning unscathed. Bet on the NRFI.

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