Welcome to another beautiful day as the sun is shining, baseball is in literal full swing, and life is good. Let's bet some 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.
We have gone a perfect 9-0 across the last three weeks so hoping to continue the hot streak today. I wouldn't expect to be that great all season but hopefully you can jump in while the water's hot. Let's dive into some games on this May 22nd slate.
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Friday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 3-0 | Season: 18-5
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds
Starting Pitchers: Kyle Leahy vs. Chris Paddack
To start off the day we have an NL Central bout between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. Kyle Leahy has been awesome early in games this year, allowing one run in the first inning over his nine starts, limiting opponents to a .129 batting average. Lefties see Leahy much better and the Reds only have one true lefty at the top of the order who hasn't seen Leahy before in JJ Bleday. Chris Paddack counters for the Reds and while he hasn't been great by any standards, he's held opponents scoreless early in five of his seven starts so far. St. Louis also ranks in the top 10 offensively in NRFI rate so I'm surprised this is a plus odds bet at some books. If you're feeling risky, go with the Cardinals but I like the value on this one.
Pick: NRFI (+105 at BetRivers)
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Starting Pitchers: Bubba Chandler vs. Kevin Gausman
For an interleague spurt, we have the Pittsburgh Pirates teeing off north of the border against the Toronto Blue Jays. I'll spoil it for you, both pitchers have been awesome this year early in games. Chandler has limited first innings scoring in seven of his nine starts. Not a single starter in the Blue Jays lineup has seen Chandler in their career either so I expect that to favor pitching in this one. For the ageless wonder Gausman, he's been just as consistent with a 2.70 ERA in the opening frame, limiting opponents to a .216 batting average. The expected top of the Pittsburgh order – Nick Gonzales, Bryan Reynolds, and Brandon Lowe – have combined to go 6-for-27 against the Jays starter in their career so I feel comfortable with no run production to start the game from either team.
Pick: NRFI (-120 at bet365)
Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves
Starting Pitchers: Miles Mikolas vs. Bryce Elder
I know I like to usually add a YRFI bet but there aren't many solid options out there in my mind with some good value on the NRFI side of things. On the surface for Miles Mikolas, his 6.91 ERA is concerning but in his six starts, he has yet to allow a run, holding opponents to a .310 OPS. Overall in his first inning pitched opponents have only allowed a .495 OPS. Pretty good against a tough Atlanta offense. Bryce Elder has been great across the board, holding opponents to a .167/.318/.250 slashline in the first inning across his 10 starts. Both teams are above average at YRFI rate but still only produce runs in the first inning at a 50/50 clip. There will also be a whole host of lefties at the top of the Nationals lineup and Elder has dominated lefties, limiting them to a .142/.242/.248 slashline this year. Once again, a solid plus odds bet.
Pick: NRFI (+105 at bet365)
