Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI): Rays vs. Red Sox (Tuesday)

One quick way to get into baseball betting is the No Runs First Inning (NRFI) bet. Here are our favorite plays for Tuesday.

Tuesday’s Best No Run First Inning Bets

2023 NRFI Season Record (3-2, +0.11 units)

Rays vs. Red Sox First Inning Under 0.5 Runs (-142 @ FanDuel)

Shane McClanahan, who has been terrific for the Rays in his previous two outings, will get the ball for the Rays in this matchup. McClanahan is 2-0 on the season, having only allowed 2 runs over 12 innings pitched. The young lefty has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball, which has resulted in him having sparkling analytics. His xERA, xBA, and xSLG were all above the 80^th percentile in 2022. He struck out over 30% of the batters he faced and walked less than 6%, both ranking in the top-20^th percentile in the MLB. He's also exceptional at missing barrels, with his hard hit % and average exit velo both ranking in the top-30^th percentile.

McClanahan is as good as they come, and the fact that he's a lefty will help further neutralize some of the firepower at the top of Boston's lineup that failed to score any runs in the opening game of this series.

Garrett Whitlock will get the ball for the first time this season for a Boston team that is searching to find reliable pitching options. Whitlock has worn many hats for the Red Sox in his two years with the team as a starter, a reliever, and even a closer. His numbers have been really solid over those two seasons, going a combined 12-6 with a 2.73 ERA. His xERA was in the 78^th percentile last year as well, proving that his numbers were no fluke. He walked fewer than 5% of the batters he faced, and his whiff% and K% both ranked in the top-30^th percentile in the league.

Whitlock's experience as a reliever should help in this spot as well, as he's used to emptying the tank within a few innings, not being relied upon to go deep into games. It took the Rays 8 innings to score their first run in yesterday's series opener, and I like for Whitlock to navigate through the top of their order without giving up a run on Tuesday.

Check out our other best bets for Tuesday: