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MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Odds & Picks: Saturday (8/24)

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Saturday brings along another full MLB slate of games as we dive into top NRFI picks today. As you place your baseball bets today, check out these MLB picks and predictions. For Saturday, we have two No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks. Without further ado, below are my favorite NRFI plays for Saturday, August 24th. Note that odds may change before the first pitch. 

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Saturday’s Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks

(All odds courtesy DraftKings Sportsbook)

New York Mets vs. San Diego Padres

Starting Pitchers: David Peterson vs. Michael King

Our first NRFI pick today features a marquee National League matchup between the New York Mets and San Diego Padres. This series has plenty of National League Wild Card implications and will be an entertaining weekend series. Let's back both starting pitchers to cash the NRFI in this Saturday night game. 

Padres starter Michael King has been pitching well for a few months now with a 2.39 ERA and 2.03 FIP since the beginning of June (13 starts). He also boasts a 2.08 ERA and 2.16 FIP over his past eight outings. More importantly, King has a strong 20-4 NRFI record this season with a 12-2 mark over his past 14 starts. The right-hander has also tossed a scoreless first inning in 10 of his 11 home starts.

King will face a Mets offense that has struggled against right-handed pitching early in games lately. In the first inning vs. righties this month, the Mets have a .258 wOBA (26th), 69 wRC+ (25th) and a .218 batting average (23rd). Meanwhile, King has a 1.88 ERA in the first inning with a .179 batting average and a .233 on-base percentage (OBP) allowed. 

On the other side, Mets starter David Peterson also brings in a strong NRFI track record. He's tossed a scoreless first inning in 13 of his 14 starts this year with a 0.64 ERA and .170 batting average allowed across his opening frames. Peterson also now has a 21-3 NRFI mark over his past 24 outings dating back to the tail-end of last season. 

The Padres have struggled to hit left-handed pitching in the first inning since the All-Star break, with a .217 wOBA (28th), 42 wRC+ (27th) and a .172 batting average (26th). Though the San Diego lineup is a dangerous one and can do damage eventually, Peterson tends to get past the first inning unscathed and should do it again today. 

Bet: NRFI (-136)

Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins

Starting Pitchers: Shota Imanaga vs. Valente Bellozo

For our second NRFI pick today, let's look at the matchup between the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. We have Shota Imanaga on the mound for Chicago and Valente Bellozo starting for Miami in this Saturday afternoon tilt. One of those pitchers has been profitable to back all season while the other may be a bit of a surprise. 

Imanaga continues to have a strong season for the Cubs with a 3.11 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. The left-hander has been especially reliable early in starts with a 19-4 NRFI record, including nine straight scoreless first innings. Imanaga is allowing just a .128 batting average and .209 OBP in the first inning this year. 

The Cubs starter also boasts some stellar road numbers. Imanaga has a 2.98 ERA on the road (compared to 3.20 at home) with a scoreless first inning in nine of his 10 road starts this season. He's also in good form lately with a 2.98 ERA and 45:5 K:BB ratio over his past seven outings (42.1 innings). Though the Marlins do have good numbers against left-handers, Imanaga should continue his stellar NRFI track record here. 

Bellozo is the bigger unknown, but there are a few key trends in his favor. First off, the Marlins' rookie right-hander has tossed a scoreless first inning in five out of six starts this season, including four straight. Bellozo also boasts a 1.57 ERA over his past four outings since returning to the Miami rotation. 

Meanwhile, the Cubs have the highest NRFI rate in the MLB this year at 62.5%, including 61.9% on the road. Over the past 10 games, they are 8-2 to the NRFI as well. The Chicago offense has also struggled against right-handers lately with a .290 wOBA, 87 wRC+ and .220 batting average over the past two weeks. 

Bet: NRFI (-120)

Make sure to check out our other best bets for Saturday:

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