PM Pick of the Day August 31

NRFI Betting Trends: Washington Can't Score In The First

Even with MLB's new pitch clock, you still have to wait a few hours to sweat out your MLB picks. But, with No Runs First Inning (NRFI) bets, you get the same betting drama and tension plus a nearly immediate result.

Below we have a complete breakdown of the NRFI inning betting trends and the best MLB teams for each side of the wager:

NRFI Betting Trends

Team# Games1st Inning Runs Scored per game1st Inning Runs Against per game# Games with a run in the 1st Inning (For/Against)# Games w/o a run in the 1st Inning (For/Against)
Arizona970.680.334651
Atlanta950.510.464253
Chi Cubs980.480.363761
Cincinnati970.370.484057
Colorado970.510.735344
Miami960.560.674848
Houston960.580.735145
LA Dodgers970.60.525443
Milwaukee970.430.564651
Washington970.270.393265
NY Mets950.420.393758
Philadelphia960.710.294650
Pittsburgh960.350.393363
San Diego990.590.565247
San Francisco970.380.624354
St. Louis960.520.574056
LA Angels960.390.64452
Baltimore960.470.383957
Boston950.530.414748
Chi White Sox980.330.383563
Detroit970.480.474948
Kansas City970.480.454156
Minnesota960.490.544947
NY Yankees980.720.475246
Oakland980.320.714949
Seattle980.480.423860
Tampa Bay960.490.474551
Texas960.560.384650
Toronto960.410.433759
Cleveland950.480.434550

colorado Remains YRFI GOAT

You'd better consider a YRFI wager whenever the Rox are in action. Colorado's offense averages just 0.51 runs per first inning, but the club's pitching is so brutal that Colorado owns a 53-44 YRFI record. The Rockies allow 0.73 runs per first inning (tied for worst in MLB), and you can see those numbers reflected in their starting staff's first-inning ERAs. For example, Austin Gomber owns an 11.50 ERA in the first, while Ryan Feltner sits at a 7.11 ERA.

NRFI? Bet Washington

The Nats combine quality first-inning pitching (0.27 runs allowed) and abysmal hitting (0.39 runs scored) to become the perfect NRFI club. Washington has held the NRFI crown all season, and there's little evidence they'll cough up the throne any time soon. The Nationals offense is truly at the bottom of the barrel, batting just .206 in the first with a terrible .286 OBP.

If a NRFI-heavy club faces Washington, hammer that No Run First Inning bet.

What Are NRFI Bets?

YRFI/NRFI stands for 'Yes Run First Inning' or 'No Run First Inning'. Simply put, this is a betting market where you're predicting if there will or will not be at least one run scored in the first inning of a game. This run can come from either team, in the top or bottom half of the inning. It's just an OVER/UNDER 0.5 runs scored wager for the first inning of the game. Here's an example of what the market would look like at your MLB sportsbook:

Will There Be a 1st Inning Run In the Brewers vs Cardinals Game?

  • Yes Run -115
  • No Run -115

Many YRFI/NRFI odds are close to even money for both sides of the wager. In this case, a winning $100 bet on either side of the market would pay out $186.96, per our odds calculator. You just pick if you think the Brewers and/or the Cards will get to the starting pitchers early, and choose which side you're riding with.

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