MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions: Friday (7/17)
Welcome to another beautiful day as we are officially into the second half of the baseball season. Let's bet on some MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks. 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 done your research. 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.
Our winning streak ended last week, but it's still been quite the profitable year. Let's dive into some MLB NRFI picks for Friday, July 17th.
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Friday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 1-2 | Season: 31-15
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Guardians
Starting Pitchers: Jared Jones vs. Gavin Williams
Let's take things easy as we jump back into the regular season. With most teams restarting their rotation, you're going to see a lot of studs going toe-to-toe. This means the NRFI will be more juiced to shorter odds. While I don't like giving out bets like that, there are still some value spots. This is one of them.
Jared Jones isn't Paul Skenes, but he does have outstanding recent numbers, allowing only one run over his last two starts and striking out 14 across 10 innings.
During that span, opponents have a batting average of .063 against him, and his splits are promising, too. Jones sports a 2.24 first-inning ERA with a .200 batting average against him in his eight starts. Cleveland also ranks 24th in first-inning runs.
On the other side, Gavin Williams is 14-5 at limiting first-inning runs with a solid month of July under his belt. If anyone is to score, I would guess that it's Pittsburgh, but I'm quite confident both teams might take a second to get going offensively again after the break.
Play: NRFI (-130 at bet365)
Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves
Starting Pitchers: Cal Quantrill vs. Chris Sale
A number that is a bit shocking to me on today's slate is this one. Chris Sale gets the nod for Atlanta, and he's still somehow insane, with a 1.55 home ERA and a 1.06 ERA in the opening frame, allowing a first-inning run in just two of his 17 starts.
Cal Quantrill has only started four games, but he's limited scoring in three of them and owns a 2.14 road ERA this year. It's not even like either offense is super scary, with both ranking in the middle of the pack in terms of first-inning runs. I'd jump on this number before it moves too much.
Play: NRFI (-108 at BetRivers)
Miami Marlins vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Starting Pitchers: Sandy Alcantara vs. Logan Henderson
The surprising 52-45 Miami Marlins take on the not-so-surprising 59-37 Milwaukee Brewers. I usually don't like to go full slate NRFI, but spoiler alert: It's more of the same here.
Sandy Alcantara is 16-4 to the NRFI and has done well at limiting the Milwaukee Brewers’ top of the order. Christian Yelich, Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang have combined for just three hits off him in 41 at-bats. That's a .073 batting average among the projected top five of the Brewers’ batting order.
Logan Henderson, meanwhile, owns a 1.80 home ERA with a 1.50 first-inning ERA, allowing one opening-frame run in his six starts. Opponents really struggle to make contact with him to start games, with Henderson managing 10 strikeouts in his first six innings pitched. This is another game where I expect a limited run production.
Play: NRFI (-120 at DraftKings Sportsbook)