Top MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Odds for Saturday, May 7th (2022)
There are 18 games scheduled for today’s Major League Baseball slate! All 30 teams are in action, with six teams scheduled for doubleheaders due to rainouts on Friday. Games get started as early as 12:35 ET, with the Pirates taking on the lowly Reds. Baseball concludes on the west coast at 9:10 ET in a matchup featuring the Rays and Mariners.
Below, I’ve listed two No Run First Innings (NRFI) bets in a couple of games shaping up to be pitcher’s duels from the time the first pitch is thrown.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves
The Brewers won game one of their three-game weekend series against the Braves on Friday night by a final score of 6-3. Milwaukee fans like their chances to add another win to their resume tonight as the rotation turns over and they send Corbin Burnes to the hill. Atlanta will try and get back into the win column as they go with Max Fried tonight. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:20 ET from Truist Park in Atlanta.
The 2021 Cy Young Winner, Corbin Burnes, is 1-1 to start the season with a 1.93 ERA and 0.73 WHIP. His ERA ranks 13th amongst his peers, while his WHIP is the third lowest amongst qualified pitchers. It’s safe to say that he hasn’t skipped a beat in the early going of the 2022 season.
Atlanta will counter with Max Fried tonight. Fried had a rough season debut where he allowed five earned runs to the Reds. But he has bounced back, recording three straight quality starts and allowing only three earned runs over the span. The left-hander enters tonight’s contest with a 3.00 ERA and 0.87 WHIP.
These are two of the game’s premier pitchers going toe-to-toe tonight. There is likely to be a shortage of runs in this game as a whole, so I lean towards seeing a clean scoreboard after one inning. Fried will likely face Kolten Wong, Willy Adames, and Christian Yelich, and he has held them to 4-14 with a double in the head-to-head category. As for Burnes, the right-hander has only allowed four earned runs over his last four starts (27.2 IP). I expect him to pick up right where he left off and stifle the Braves in the first inning.
Bet: Brewers at Braves NRFI (-148 via FanDuel)
Miami Marlins vs. San Diego Padres
The Padres earned a 3-2 win last night in the series opener with the Marlins, thanks to a 7.0 innings performance from Yu Darvish. Darvish allowed just two earned runs on five hits and no walks. Miami will try and notch a win in game two as they turn to Pablo Lopez to handle the starting pitching responsibilities. Sean Manaea goes for San Diego, making his sixth start of 2022. This game is scheduled for 8:40 ET from Petco Park in San Diego.
Lopez is off to a fantastic start this season, posting a 3-1 record with a 1.29 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. His 1.29 ERA is the second-lowest in the Majors entering today’s action. The right-hander is coming off of his worst outing of the season, where he allowed three earned runs to the Diamondbacks on Monday. But that was an outlier of a performance for the 26-year-old, as he had only surrendered one earned run over his previous four starts.
Sean Manaea, aside from one start against the Dodgers (6 ER over 4.1 IP), has been very reliable in 2022. Over the five starts that he made in April, the left-hander recorded four quality starts. Manaea enters tonight’s game with a 2-2 record, 3.60 ERA, and 1.07 WHIP.
Pablo Lopez is a rising star amongst pitchers in baseball today. He is in great form, and I’ll be expecting him to spin another gem tonight in San Diego. As for Manaea, the left-hander should match the intensity early on and get through the first inning with no issues. The Marlins are the 25th ranked team in baseball in OPS against left-handed pitching (.596), and they’re batting just .200 against LHP (28th). Take NRFI in this National League matchup between two elite hurlers.
Bet: Marlins at Padres NRFI (-134 via FanDuel)
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