Just ten games between 20 teams make up Thursday’s select MLB slate. For those looking to cash in quickly on a bet, nothing makes more sense than an NRFI. With that being said, there’s more to this one than meets the eye. Some pitchers thrive early, while others take more time to get settled in than others. Which NRFI picks are worth a closer look today?

Ahead of Thursday’s MLB contests, here are two NRFI bets worth placing on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Rays vs. Red Sox NRFI (-135)

As always, Tampa Bay isn’t afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to pitching. The team has given reliever Griffin Jax some starts recently, essentially serving as an opener. So far, so good; the 31-year-old has allowed two hits and no runs over his last five innings of work. For his career, the right-hander has allowed a first inning run in just two of 18 starts. There’s a decent chance that trend continues this evening against a lackluster Red Sox lineup. Boston owns a 12.50% YRFI rate at home, second-worst in all of baseball this season.

In the top half of the inning, it’ll be Jake Bennett on the bump. The rookie impressed during his big league debut last week, holding a potent Astros offense to one run over five innings. It’s a small sample size, but still a positive sign for the 25-year-old going forward. Tonight, the southpaw will take on a good, albeit not great, Tampa Bay lineup. The Rays have only scored 31 total runs over their last ten games, third-worst in the majors. Quality pitching has kept this group afloat, but the bats have been relatively cold. Bennett, a young pitcher with stellar command, is set up nicely on Thursday.

Cardinals vs. Padres NRFI (-135)

To wrap things up this evening, Matthew Liberatore will get the nod for St. Louis. Through seven starts this season, the lefty has delivered a 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 23 strikeouts (5.8 K/9). None of those numbers should inspire confidence from bettors. Still, the same can be said about his opponents tonight. San Diego has a .661 OPS against southpaws, the 11th-worst mark in baseball. Over his last 13.1 innings against the Padres, Liberatore has only surrendered two earned runs (1.35 ERA). At pitcher-friendly Petco Park, three early outs are more than possible.

For the home team, it’ll be Michael King on the rubber. When healthy, the eighth-year pro is one of the sport’s more underrated arms. This season, he’s recorded a 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 39 strikeouts over 39.2 innings of work. To boot, the right-hander has delivered an 82% NRFI rate since 2025. Granted, St. Louis can certainly tear the cover off of the ball. The Cardinals are ninth in baseball with 4.83 runs scored per game. Regardless, the edge in this spot clearly lies with the man on the mound. King, on a streak of nine straight scoreless first innings, will look to make it ten tonight.