MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions: Friday (8/7)
Welcome to another beautiful day as we are officially into the second-half of the baseball season. Let's bet some NRFI's! NRFI stands for No Runs 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 hit a +125 YRFI last time out and had a green day. Let's dive into some games on this August 7th slate.
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Friday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 2-1 | Season: 35-16
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Starting Pitchers: Jose Soriano vs. Zack Wheeler
Starting with some interleague play we have an underrated pitchers duel that should impress. Jose Soriano owns a 3.29 ERA across the season and in his last four starts reps a 2.74 ERA with an insane .488 OPS against. Most importantly, Soriano has a 2.45 first inning ERA with Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper combining to go just 3-for-12 with no extra-base hits off him lifetime.
On the other side, Zack Wheeler has been even more impressive with a 2.49 ERA across the year. He also owns a 2.00 first inning ERA while the Toronto Blue Jays have been the single worst team at scoring in the first inning throughout MLB this year. If anyone is scoring, it's the Phillies. Still, I'm pretty confident in a quiet opening frame and not afraid to take a bit of juice because of it.
Pick: NRFI (-125 at DraftKings)
Minnesota Twins vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Starting Pitchers: Zebby Matthews vs. Shane Drohan
Getting frisky here, we have another interleague matchup as the Milwaukee Brewers host the Minnesota Twins. For Minnesota, it doesn't look great for them to stay close in this one. Zebby Matthews gets the nod here and his road ERA sits at 7.33 on the season. Combine that with a 7.07 ERA in the first frame and you can see why I feel good about the Brewers, especially early in game. The cherry on top is lefties hit better off Matthews as well which two of the top three Brewers hitters are.
For Milwaukee, Shane Drohan has been awesome in his rookie season. The southpaw has a 3.48 ERA while limiting opponents to a .493 OPS in the opening frame. Playing at home also gives the Brewers a bit of a bump here so we're gonna get weird. I think the Brewers get out to an early lead and I'm willing to bet on it.
Pick: Brewers 1st inning Moneyline (+270 at BetRivers)
Chicago Cubs vs. Kansas City Royals
Starting Pitchers: Kevin Gausman vs. Daniel Lynch
Finally tonight we're going to take advantage of some plus odds. Kevin Gausman will be making his Cubs debut tonight in Kansas City and the former Blue Jay has been solid all year. He's coming off a one run effort across 5.2 innings pitched and faces a bottom half Kansas City offense. He also handles lefties better which two of the top three batters in the Royals lineup are.
Daniel Lynch is making his starting debut this year after 46 appearances in relief across 2026. So while there isn't much first inning data, he does have a 1.09 home ERA while limiting opponents to a .183 batting average in his first inning pitched. The Cubs offense has been hot but I think they may be stifled here. Given the setup, I'm shocked we're getting plus odds value on NRFI and I'm taking advantage of it.
Pick: NRFI (+114 at FanDuel)