Saturday brings along another jam-packed slate of MLB games. As you enjoy the weekend baseball, let's dive into the top No Runs First Inning (NRFI) picks and predictions.
If you’re unfamiliar with NRFI bets, it’s pretty simple. We’re betting on whether or not any runs will be scored in the first inning by either team. Both starting pitchers must pitch a scoreless first inning for the bet to cash.
We have two picks for Saturday featuring the Rangers vs. the Tigers and the Reds vs. the Astros. Let’s get to my favorite NRFI plays for Saturday, May 10th’s game Rangers vs. Tigers.
- MLB NRFI/YRFI Cheat Sheet - Team View
- MLB NRFI/YRFI Cheat Sheet - Matchup View
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- MLB Consensus Odds
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Saturday’s Best MLB No Runs First Innings (NRFI) Picks: Rangers vs. Tigers
(All odds courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook)
Rangers vs. Tigers
Starting Pitchers: Jacob deGrom vs. Jack Flaherty
Our first NRFI pick today features the Tigers hosting the Rangers. We have a strong pitching matchup with Jack Flaherty on the mound for Detroit and Jacob deGrom starting for Texas. Both should combine for a scoreless first inning.
With a 2.61 ERA and 1.00 WHIP this season, deGrom is back to looking like one of the sport's best pitchers. The Rangers right-hander had a couple of shaky starts in April, but he's calmed down lately. He boasts a 1.54 ERA over his last four outings coming into the weekend.
The success has regularly begun in the first inning for deGrom. He has a 5-2 NRFI record this season with a .200 batting average allowed in the first inning. Despite battling injuries over recent years, deGrom has proven to be a dominant pitcher in the opening frame.
Over the past three seasons, deGrom has tossed a scoreless first inning in 13 of his last 16 starts. He also has an elite 23-4 NRFI record over his last 27 starts. The veteran owns a 2.16 ERA and .190 batting average allowed across his career in the first inning.
Meanwhile, Flaherty brings in excellent NRFI numbers as well. He's yet to allow a first-inning run in seven starts this season while holding hitters to a .136 batting average in the frame. This continues a trend from last year when Flaherty posted a 22-6 NRFI record (78.6%) with a .214 batting average against in the first inning.
The Tigers and Rangers both have dangerous offenses, but we're trusting the track record of both deGrom and Flaherty to cash this NRFI bet. Notably, Texas and Detroit both have top-10 NRFI records.
Pick: NRFI (-150)
