MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions: Sunday (6/25)
The weekend wraps up with a full slate of Major League Baseball and action gets underway as early as 10:10 a.m. ET as the Cubs square off against the Cardinals in London. Games run all day and everything leads up to a Sunday Night Baseball clash between the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.
I'm taking it to the prop sheet today where I'm looking at NRFI plays. Here are my top three picks for the No Runs First Inning prop.
MLB YTD: 50-93 (-0.22 units)
Sunday's Best No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Bets
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers
It's a Motown rubber match as the Twins square off against the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Detroit will attempt to narrow the AL Central gap (4.5 GB) as they turn to Michael Lorenzen to handle the starting pitching responsibilities. Minnesota counters with Bailey Ober in this divisional tilt slated for 12:10 p.m. ET from Comerica Park in Detroit, MI.
I'm riding with the NRFI in this spot. It has cashed in both games this series and is now 5-0 in Detroit's last five games. Additionally, the Tigers are now 8-1 to the NRFI in their last nine games. As for Minnesota, 15 of their last 19 games have seen a clean first frame.
Aside from the trends, both of these offenses have struggled mightily this season. Detroit is just 27th in team batting average (.229) and 29th in OPS (.664) while Minnesota is 25th (.231) and 20th (.712) in those respective categories. Considering both Ober and Lorenzen have ERAs of 4.00 or lower, I think we'll see these offenses stumble once again on Sunday.
Bet: No Runs First Inning (-120)
Texas Rangers at New York Yankees
The Yankees bounced back with a 1-0 victory Saturday, evening up this American League series at one game apiece. We have a fantastic pitching matchup for the finale as Nathan Eovaldi takes on Gerrit Cole. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET from Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY.
This has been a low-scoring series as the first two games have seen just seven combined runs. Considering the pitching matchup, I'd say runs will likely be at a premium once again. The NRFI has hit in both games this series, and I'll lay the juice and say it hits for a third straight time.
Cole has been exceptional recently, posting four straight quality starts this month. The right-hander owns a 1.78 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over the 25.1-inning stretch. At home this year, Cole's ERA sits at 2.60 and opponents are hitting just .195 against him. So, while the Rangers have a lethal offense, I think the 32-year-old hurler will hold his own.
On the flip side, Eovaldi has been awesome this season. The right-hander is 9-3 overall with a 2.80 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. He'll take on a Yankees offense that's absolutely floundering without Aaron Judge. Over the last 14 days, New York is dead last in BABIP (.220) and 29th in wOBA (.257). Eovaldi should carve these guys up as he goes toe-to-toe with Cole at Yankee Stadium. Let's ride with NRFI here.
Bet: No Runs First Inning (-140)
Houston Astros at Los Angeles Dodgers
The Sunday nightcap features a 2017 World Series rematch as the Astros and Dodgers square off at Chavez Ravine. Hunter Brown gets the nod for Houston while Los Angeles opts for Tony Gonsolin. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA.
The NRFI has yet to cash this series as the Dodgers have outscored the Astros 4-0 in the first inning so far. However, I think the tides will turn Sunday night and we'll see a clean first frame.
Gonsolin continues to step up and give Los Angeles a chance to win as the organization deals with perpetual injuries to the starting rotation. The right-hander owns a 3.62 ERA at home this year, but opponents are hitting just .180 against him and his WHIP sits at 1.02. Gonsolin will be tasked with taking on a Houston side that's just 28th in BABIP (.241) over the last 14 days. That's a huge stat considering Gonsolin doesn't get a ton of strikeouts (7.4 K/9).
As for Brown, the right-hander has been better on the road this season, where he owns a 3.46 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .222 against him away from Minute Maid. Brown comes into this contest with a 10.0 K/9 rate, which bodes well for us as the Dodgers have the sixth-highest K% over the last 14 days at 25.8%. That, combined with Brown's 1.3 groundball/flyball ratio should be enough to work around potential jams. Let's play the NRFI in Los Angeles tonight.
Bet: No Runs First Inning (-105)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts