MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Odds & Picks: Sunday (7/6)
The Major League Baseball season churns ahead on Sunday, and we have another loaded 15-game slate to navigate from a betting perspective. I'm heading to the prop sheet today, and below you'll find my top three MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) bets. Here are three games that I anticipate being scoreless after the first frame.
- MLB NRFI/YRFI Cheat Sheet - Team View
- MLB NRFI/YRFI Cheat Sheet - Matchup View
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- MLB Consensus Odds
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Sunday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Detroit Tigers (-231) vs. Cleveland Guardians (+186) | O/U 7.5 (-107/-114)
Starting Pitchers: Tarik Skubal vs. Gavin Williams
Happy Tarik Skubal Bump Day to all who celebrate! The reigning Cy Young Award winner takes the ball for the Tigers (56-34) today, as they look to issue the Guardians (40-47) their 10th straight defeat. This divisional contest gets underway at 1:40 p.m. ET from Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.
The biggest question mark with this NRFI wager is whether or not Gavin Williams can come through for us. The right-hander has been decent this season with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP. The big edge comes with his head-to-head numbers against the Tigers, where he has limited their current roster to a slash line of .193/.258/.281 over 57 at-bats. The Guardians are the second-best NRFI team in the league at 54-33 (62%), and with this pitching matchup, I like this game to be scoreless after one inning.
As for Skubal, I mean, what do we even need to say? He's fifth in ERA (2.15), first in WHIP (0.83), and second in strikeouts (138) this season. The left-hander made five June starts (33.1 IP), posting a 1.89 ERA and a 10.5 K/9 rate. Skubal draws a matchup against a Cleveland team that's 29th in wOBA (.243) and 28th in ISO (.089) over the last seven days. Give me the NRFI.
Bet: NRFI (-145)
Kansas City Royals (+128) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (-156) | O/U 9.5 (-106/-115)
Starting Pitchers: Michael Lorenzen vs. Anthony DeSclafani
The Diamondbacks (44-45) bounced back with a 7-1 victory against the Royals (42-48) on Saturday, forcing a Sunday rubber match in the Valley. Michael Lorenzen gets the nod for Kansas City, while Arizona opts for Anthony DeSclafani. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET from Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ.
Every once in a while you can find a good value spot to play the NRFI in a game featuring the Arizona Diamondbacks. I believe this is a great spot to take an even-money flier on a scoreless first inning. DeSclafani (4.82 ERA) is set to make his fifth appearance with the Snakes, and he owns a 0.00 ERA in his last two outings (5.0 IP). The Royals' big guns of Jonathan India (1-4), Bobby Witt Jr. (0-3), and Vinnie Pasquantino (2-3) are a combined 3-10 (.300) against him with only one extra basehit.
As for Lorenzen (4.95 ERA), he has found success against Arizona in the past. He has limited their current roster to a slash line of .189/.283/.283 over 53 at-bats. The Diamondbacks are a modest 11th in wOBA (.327) over the last seven days. They also just welcomed back Corbin Carroll, but he's still settling in after going 0-5 in his first game back on Saturday. I think there's value in the desert today with the NRFI prop.
Bet: NRFI (+100)
Pittsburgh Pirates (-107) vs. Seattle Mariners (-113) | O/U 6.5 (-110/-111)
Starting Pitchers: Paul Skenes vs. George Kirby
Let's wrap things up in the Pacific Northwest, where the Pirates (38-52) will turn to Paul Skenes as they try to avoid a sweep. The Mariners counter with George Kirby in this interleague clash, which is slated for 4:10 p.m. ET from T-Mobile Park in Seattle, WA.
After a 6-0 run for the Pirates, their offense has been stifled during this trip to Seattle, getting blanked in their opening games of this series against the Mariners (L: 6-0. L: 1-0). Now they'll face George Kirby (4.85), who has posted two straight quality starts and registered a 1.50 ERA during the 12.0-inning stretch.
As for the bottom half of the 1st, the Mariners are running into Paul Skenes, who is developing into the superstar that we had all hoped to see. The second-year man out of LSU is just 4-7, but owns a 2.03 ERA (second) and a 0.92 WHIP (sixth). His 115 punchouts are the 10th-most in the Majors. Julio Rodriguez (2-3), Cal Raleigh (0-3), and Randy Arozarena (1-5) are a combined 3-11 (.273) against Skenes, so if he can work around the centerfielder, then we should be on pace to cash this NRFI.
Bet: NRFI (-175)