Welcome to another beautiful day as the sun is shining, the Cubs are winning, 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 6-0 across the last two weeks so hoping to continue the hot streak today. Let's dive into some games on this May 8th slate.
Friday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 3-0 | Season: 12-5 | 2025 Season: 30-25
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres
Starting Pitchers: Michael McGreevy vs. Griffin Canning
One of the more surprising stats in the MLB so far early in the year is how bad the Padres' offense has been, especially in the first inning. San Diego has managed just seven runs in the opening frame with an 86% NRFI rate. Both numbers rank last (or first) in the league. Michael McGreevy gets the start for the Cardinals and the righty has been excellent so far in 2026. Across his seven starts, McGreevy has only allowed one run in the opening frame without walking a single batter. Griffin Canning is making just his second start of the season and he looked great to open his 2026 campaign. Offensively, the Cardinals have performed much better than San Diego but still rank 18th in first inning run production. I'm surprised this number isn't hyper juiced but I expect it to become more so as we get closer to first pitch.
Pick: NRFI (-120 at FanDuel)
Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals
Starting Pitchers: Keider Montero vs. Kris Bubic
Interdivisional foes go toe-to-toe as Detroit travels to Kansas City to take on the Royals. The Kansas City offense hasn't been much better than what we've seen out of San Diego with only 10 first inning runs from the Royals so far this year, third worst. Keider Montero gets the start for Detroit and he's been dealing in 2026. In the opening frame, Montero has yet to allow a run with only two total hits allowed in 20 at-bats. Kris Bubic for Detroit has been solid as well, keeping teams scoreless in the first inning in six of his seven starts this year. The top of the Tigers expected lineup is a combined 2-for-12 with no extra-base hits so this is another one where I'm feeling good about the NRFI, despite the juice.
Pick: NRFI (-128 at FanDuel)
Washington Nationals vs. Miami Marlins
Starting Pitchers: Foster Griffin vs. Robby Snelling
Not to spoil my take here but I couldn't give out all NRFI's, now could I? Washington has been a ton of fun to watch this year with the fourth most runs scored overall and the most in the first inning across baseball. Robby Snelling will be making his MLB debut which means that the nerves will be high and Washington has been much better against southpaws than righties so far this year, especially Brady House who owns a .955 against lefties compared to a .572 OPS against righties. Foster Griffin counters for Washington and has allowed three runs in the first inning over his seven starts. He's solid, but he takes a step back on the road and Miami ranks sixth in YRFI rate. If you're feeling extra spicy, I'd go Nationals first inning moneyline, but right now I'll take the plus odds bet that one of these teams scores early. Shop around because I'm guessing you can find better than +115 odds before first pitch. Additionally, if you're really wanting to make some YRFI bets, my other game for that would be Orioles-Athletics.
Pick: YRFI (+115 at DraftKings)
