Best NRFI Bets Today, April 19

Minnesota Twins vs Boston Red Sox - Joe Ryan (RHP) vs Corey Kluber (RHP)

Over 0.5 Runs (-113 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

The Boston Red Sox have been solid for YRFI bettors this season. The top of the Red Sox offense is dangerous, and their pitching is lackluster most nights of the week. Boston is the best YRFI team in baseball, hitting this wager 71% of the time. Their starting pitcher, Corey Kluber, makes the Red Sox even more appealing on Wednesday. Kluber is 0-3 with a 6.92 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

The pitcher has allowed 13 hits in 13 innings with six walks and four homers. Kluber isn’t overpowering, which gives Twins hitters an advantage at the plate. If they sit back on the ball, we expect them to drive runners around the bases early and often. 

Joe Ryan will pitch for the Twins, and he has been solid this season. The pitcher is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA and a 0.63 WHIP. In 19 innings, he has struck out 26 batters. However, he does occasionally miss, and we trust hitters like Rafael Devers to take advantage of these mistakes. 

San Francisco Giants vs Miami Marlins - Alex Cobb (RHP) vs Trevor Rogers (RHP)

First Inning Tie (-150 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

Baseball players are systematic creatures and don’t like being thrown out of routines. It’s always smart to look at NRFI bets on getaway days, as offensive teams seem to be sluggish. Teams must be at the ballpark late and show up early, often leading to slow starts. Pitchers have the luxury of going to bed early and preparing for their early start. The Marlins will host the Giants, and we’re expecting a slow start in this matchup. 

Miami is the best NRFI team in MLB, hitting this wager 65% of the time. The Giants are only yielding successful YRFI wagers in 40% of their games. Instead of playing the NRFI, we recommend riding with the first inning tie to give us a little more protection. With this market, San Francisco could score in the top of the first and our bet wouldn’t be dead. 

Alex Cobb will throw for the Giants. He is 0-1 with a 3.14 and 1.47 WHIP. His counterpart will be Trevor Rogers, who is 1-2 with a 4.2 ERA and a 1.2 WHIP. Both these pitchers get hit, but they keep the ball down in the zone, limiting homers. Both pitchers have allowed two bombs on the season, which is minimal relative to other backend starters. 

Cleveland Guardians vs Detroit Tigers - Cal Quantrill (RHP) vs Spencer Turnbull (RHP)

Over 0.5 Runs (-113 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

Another day game we have our eyes on Wednesday is Guardians vs Tigers. As we stated above, we like to lean on NRFI wagers in day games, but this matchup is an exception. YRFI bets are great when the pitchers can’t compete, and this is what we have when Cal Quantrill faces Spencer Turnbull. 

Quantrill is 0-1 with a 5.74 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP. In 15.2 innings, he has allowed 21 hits with just nine strikeouts and five walks. Spencer Turnbull will take the ball for the Tigers, and he has been even worse than Quantrill. The pitcher is 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP. He has allowed 19 hits in 13 innings with six walks. 

Both pitchers do a nice job keeping the ball in the yard, but these teams don’t rely on power. When Cleveland and Detroit are at their best, they’re spraying the ball all over the yard. 

New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers - Max Scherzer  (RHP) vs Noah Syndergaard (RHP)

First Inning Tie (-130 on FanDuel Sportsbook)

Max Scherzer is traditionally one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he has made a lot of mistakes to begin 2023. Scherzer is coming off a fantastic performance against the Padres, but he was bombed against the Marlins and Brewers. We need to see one more dominant start against a quality lineup before we proclaim that Scherzer is back. His season totals include a 4.41 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP with 13 hits and seven walks. Los Angeles is good enough to capitalize on Scherzer’s mistakes. 

Noah Syndergaard will pitch for the Dodgers, and he is 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. In 16 innings, he has allowed 18 hits with three home runs. These lineups are two of the best in baseball, with a combined 49 homers on the season. Each team has a combined OBP over .330.

The smartest bet here is the first-inning tie. If the Mets score in the top half, Los Angeles will have an opportunity to answer. New York could have a field day off of Syndergaard so this gives us extra protection for our first-inning wager.

Catch More of our Daily MLB Picks

• Best MLB Picks Today, April 19
• Best Prop Bets for April 19