MLB NRFI Odds & Picks: Bet a Scoreless First Inning in Rays vs. Athletics (Wednesday, May 4)
Mike Carlson/Getty Images. Pictured: Corey Kluber.
- The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Oakland Athletics in afternoon MLB action.
- Corey Kluber will take the mound for the Rays, while Frankie Montas counters for the A's.
- Check out Shayne Trail's NRFI breakdown for Rays vs. A's below.
Shayne Trail breaks down his favorite NRFI/YRFI bet of the day below, but you can follow all of his bets in the Action Network app.
Rays vs. Athletics — No Runs First Inning (-155)
| Matchup | Rays (Kluber) vs. Athletics (Montas) |
| First Pitch | 3:37 p.m. ET |
| Best Line | FanDuel |
With both teams achieving a YRFI and coming off a grueling extra-inning game, we will look to find value in the Rays vs. Athletics NRFI today.
Corey Kluber is a great example of how age doesn’t matter when it comes to being a great NRFI pitcher.
In 2021, his first-inning splits were nothing short of outstanding. In 59 hitters faced, Kluber allowed only 10 hits and five walks, giving him a .056 first-inning ERA. Since 2021, his NRFI splits are just as impressive, going 18-2 to the NRFI overall and 8-1 on the road.
Lastly, Kluber is 5-0 to the NRFI against the Oakland A's dating all the way back to 2015.
Kluber has dominated in some of his potential matchups:
- Elvis Andrus: 2-for-16
- Tony Kemp: 1-for-10
- Jed Lowrie: 2-for-10
- Stephen Piscotty: 0-for-3
Hitting struggles seem to have become worse for the A's in the last seven days, with multiple hitters hitting below .200:
- Andrus: 3-for-21
- Kemp: 3-for-21
- Sean Murphy: 1-for-18
- Piscotty: 1-for-13
On the other side, we have Frankie Montas holding a 29-8 NRFI record since 2021. More impressively, he holds a 21-4 home NRFI record since 2020. Lastly, Montas is 3-1 to the NRFI against the Rays since 2019 and 2-0 against them at home.
Like Kluber, Montas holds the upper hand in multiple key pitcher-batter matchups as well.
- Randy Arozarena: 1-for-8
- Yandy Diaz: 2-for-8
- Brandon Lowe: 3-for-12
- Wander Franco: 0-for-3
Some key Rays bats have gone cold in the last seven days as well:
- Lowe: 5-for-29
- Arozarena: 4-for-24
Look for these two American league teams' hitting struggles to continue. Take the NRFI between the A's and Rays.
As always, six outs to glory…
Get all of Shayne Trail's NRFI/YRFI bets instantly in The Action Network app.
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