Best NRFI Bets Today: 2 No Run First Inning MLB Picks for Monday 5/11/26

Today's Top NRFI Picks at a Glance

• Rays vs. Blue Jays NRFI
• Mariners vs. Astros NRFI

The MLB season is an annual marathon that gives us months of daily betting markets to consider.

While traditional player props like home runs and strikeouts remain popular options, one market that's gained steam is betting whether or not no runs will be scored in the first inning -- aka a No Run First Inning (NRFI) bet.

On FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds, we can find NRFI odds listed as 1st Inning 0.5 Runs under the Innings tab for each MLB game.

Please note: lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

What are the top home run picks for today?

NRFI Picks: No Run First Inning Bets for Today

NRFI Pick: Blue Jays vs. Rays

7:07 PM ET | Kevin Gausman (Blue Jays) vs. Drew Rasmussen (Rays)

Kevin Gausman starts for the Toronto Blue Jays with a 3.52 SIERA through eight starts, and his first-inning profile is elite. His splitter — the primary weapon of his entire arsenal — is at maximum deception before opposing hitters have any game-day calibration against his release point. Cold Tampa Bay Rays hitters seeing Gausman's high-spin four-seamer and diving splitter combination for the first time in the game face the pitch at its most deceptive and least timed.

The Rays' lineup, despite being one of the better offenses in the AL East, is usually patient against right-handed pitching and does not tend to ambush starters in the first inning. They work counts, take pitches, and typically accumulate damage in the middle and late innings — not in the opening frame.

The other side of this matchup may be even more compelling for NRFI purposes. Drew Rasmussen carries a 3.10 SIERA and 4.1% walk rate into this start against the Blue Jays — one of the cleanest command ratios of any starting pitcher in the American League. His pitch mix — a mid-90s four-seamer, a cutter he leans on as the primary put-away offering, and a curveball — is at its most deceptive in the opening frame before Toronto's lineup identifies his arm slot and timing.

Two in-form hurlers against good-not-great offenses makes this a good spot for a NRFI.

NRFI Pick: Mariners vs. Astros

8:11 PM ET | George Kirby (Mariners) vs. Peter Lambert (Astros)

Even in the midst of a slow-ish start to 2026, George Kirby owns a 3.73 SIERA and 5.9% walk rate. His first-inning profile is the cornerstone of this pick. Kirby is known for his extraordinary command, holding the best strikeout-to-walk ratio and second-lowest walk rate among qualified starting pitchers since 1950. A pitcher who rarely walks batters is a good NRFI option — the baserunning chain that produces first-inning runs usually requires traffic, and Kirby simply does not hand out free passes.

His four-seam fastball at maximum velocity in the first frame, combined with a slider that generates elite horizontal movement before hitters have calibrated against his release, creates a pitch profile that cold lineups consistently fail to make hard contact against.

The Houston Astros present a favorable matchup from the NRFI perspective specifically because of their lineup construction. Houston's patient, disciplined approach at the plate — built around contact hitters who work counts and attack pitches in the zone — means they take pitches and operate methodically rather than swinging aggressively at first pitches against elite right-handers. This tendency plays directly into Kirby's strengths: his four-seamer and slider are most effective on first-pitch swings that do not go the batter's way, and Houston's patience means those early-count battles typically produce outs rather than baserunners in the first inning.

On the Astros' side, Peter Lambert has been solid this season, sporting a 2.42 ERA over 22.1 innings — better numbers than his career history with Colorado would suggest and a reflection of the adjustment he made returning from Japan's NPB in 2025. Lambert averages 95.2 mph with his four-seamer and has been keeping hitters off balance with his changeup in recent outings. The Mariners' lineup has pop isn't showing much of it so far as they sit 19th in wOBA.

NRFI Betting — Frequently Asked Questions

What does NRFI mean in baseball betting? NRFI stands for No Run First Inning. It's a baseball bet where you wager that neither team will score in the first inning. The opposite bet — at least one run scored in the first inning — is called YRFI (Yes Run First Inning).

How does a NRFI bet work? A NRFI bet is settled when the first inning is completed. If both teams fail to score, your bet wins. If either team scores one or more runs, the bet loses. The final game score has no bearing on the outcome.

What is the difference between NRFI and YRFI? NRFI bets that no runs will score in the first inning, while YRFI bets that at least one run will.

What stats should I look at for NRFI bets? The most important factors are usually each starting pitcher's first-inning ERA, WHIP, and strikeout rate (K%). You should also look at each team's first-inning batting average and on-base percentage as well as individual player stats for the first few batters in the lineup for each team.

Can I parlay NRFI bets? Yes, FanDuel lets you parlay NRFIs across multiple games on the same slate.

Where can you find NRFI betting lines on FanDuel? You can find NRFI odds listed as 1st Inning 0.5 Runs under the Innings tab for each MLB game.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.