MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Odds & Picks: Thursday (8/21)
Welcome back to another day of sports betting as the MLB season continues. We're in the dog days of summer as the playoff races takes shape. Teams have already made moves and that only gets the excitement going to bet some more NRFI's.
NRFI stands for No-Run First Inning. It's a popular betting market where gamblers wager on whether the first inning of an MLB game will end with zero runs scored by either team. Pretty simple. NRFI bets are the best because they're quick – sometimes you'll know the outcome within minutes. NRFI bets can provide an edge over other markets if you’ve researched. I'm here to help provide that edge. As always, shop around for the best odds and be on the lookout for lineup announcements, which can significantly impact the outcome.
Let's dive into some games on this August 21 slate.
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Thursday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 1-1 | Season: 22-17 | Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs
Starting Pitchers: Quinn Priester vs. Shota Imanaga
In one of the bigger games of the day, the Cubs continue to claw back into the NL Central race against the Milwaukee Brewers. After taking three of four games this series, the Cubs hope to take another game against their divisional foes. Shoto Imanaga takes the bump for Chicago this early afternoon and he's been awesome. He has a 3.06 ERA with a .208 batting average against, but he's struggled early in games. In the opening frame, Imanaga owns a 5.00 ERA with a .243 batting average against, a step back. The early order of the Brewers has done well against the southpaw, both homering off him.
Quinn Priester counters for Milwaukee, with a 4.42 ERA in the first inning. It's the same thing with Priester and past history against the Cubs lineup. The projected starters have a combined 1.046 OPS against the Brewers' starter who takes a bit of a step back on the road. It's not the most likely outcome and neither team ranks particularly high on the first run inning success rate but the odds are too good here. I'm betting on early fireworks.
Pick: YRFI (+120)
Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals
Starting Pitchers: Patrick Corbin vs. Michael Lorenzen
For another day game we have the Texas Rangers taking on the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City. Patrick Corbin takes the bump for Texas and he's been great in his 13th season. His past history against the Royals is a combo of good and bad but his splits are favorable for limiting runs. He has a 1.57 ERA in the opening frame across his 23 starts this year. Kansas City also is fifth highest in NRFI percentage. On the other side, Michael Lorenzen has been great at home and even better in the first inning with a 1.42 ERA in his 19 starts. The Royals starter has been great of late and I'm riding this hot streak. Texas is one of four teams that have a higher NRFI percentage than Kansas City so it's more so the lack of belief in either teams' offense than trust in pitching but both combine for a clear NRFI bet, with solid even odds too.
Pick: NRFI (-110)