NRFI Today: 3 MLB NRFI Picks, Predictions, Best Bets for Friday, August 7, 2026

Today's Top NRFI Picks at a Glance

• Blue Jays vs. Phillies NRFI
• Mets vs. Pirates NRFI
• Rays vs. Mariners 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. You can also check out our MLB player news page to stay up to date with lineup news and injuries.

Check out the top home run picks for today as well as the best MLB predictions.

NRFI Bets Today: No Run First Inning Picks

Blue Jays vs. Phillies NRFI (-125)

Starting Pitchers: José Soriano vs. Zack Wheeler

Zack Wheeler remains one of the strongest reasons to bet an NRFI on Friday.

Wheeler sits at 10-2 with a 2.49 ERA and 126 strikeouts. His workload is 105 innings, including the two scoreless innings he threw in his most recent rain-shortened appearance. Wheeler’s value for an NRFI goes beyond ERA. A WHIP around 0.92 means there is very little margin for an opposing offense to string together baserunners, while his strikeout ability (31.3% K rate) allows him to avoid the ball in play when he needs an out.

The Toronto Blue Jays will turn to with newly acquired José Soriano, and his complete numbers are also strong. Soriano enters at 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA and 127 strikeouts across 123 innings. He also has a 1.25 WHIP, 97 hits allowed and 12 home runs surrendered over his 22 starts. He has held opponents to only 7.1 hits per nine innings. Soriano has also produced 127 strikeouts in 123 innings, equivalent to 9.3 K/9.

Command is the obvious concern. Soriano has walked 57 batters, or 4.2 per nine innings, so he creates more unnecessary traffic than Wheeler does. Still, opponents have had considerable difficulty collecting hits against him, and his home-run rate is below one per nine innings. Soriano’s last start for the Angels was another encouraging performance: he allowed three hits and no earned runs over five innings against San Francisco.

The Philadelphia Phillies present a difficult offensive matchup, but pairing Soriano’s contact suppression with Wheeler’s elite overall profile makes this a strong NRFI candidate.

Mets vs. Pirates NRFI (-115)

Starting Pitchers: Zac Thornton vs. Carmen Mlodzinski

This matchup requires a little caution, but there is enough supporting data to back it up.

Thornton enters Friday at 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA across 34.1 innings. His game log is particularly useful. Thornton held Milwaukee scoreless across six innings, Boston scoreless across seven and Philadelphia to one earned run over six. In those three starts combined, he surrendered only 10 hits across 19 innings, so he’s shown he has the stuff to quiet top offenses.

Pittsburgh’s offense creates some NRFI risk. The Pittsburgh Pirates have hit .252 with a .323 OBP and .775 OPS in the first inning overall, and their numbers against right-handed pitchers are even stronger. Fortunately for Thornton, he is left-handed, which avoids the Pirates' particularly productive right-handed-pitcher split.

Mlodzinski's stand at 6-3 with a 3.15 ERA over 94.1 innings. The matchup against the New York Mets helps substantially.

Despite the Mets' recent offensive outburst against Cleveland, their season-long first-inning profile remains poor. New York is batting only .229 with a .284 OBP and .686 OPS in the opening inning. Mets hitters have struck out 113 times against only 29 walks in those situations, and they’re without star slugger Juan Soto.

Rays vs. Mariners NRFI (-136)

Starting Pitchers: Drew Rasmussen vs. Logan Gilbert

This is my favorite NRFI matchup on Friday’s slate.

Rasmussen enters the game 10-5 with a 2.91 ERA and 122 strikeouts, becoming a key piece for the Tampa Bay Rays. He is coming off six scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox in which he allowed only four hits and one walk while striking out 10. That outing lowered his ERA from 3.07 to 2.91 and extended his scoreless streak to 13 innings over his last two starts, during which he has recorded 19 strikeouts.

The combination of run prevention and control is particularly appealing for an NRFI. Rasmussen does not need to pitch around constant traffic, and his ability to generate strikeouts gives him a way out when runners do reach.

The Seattle Mariners will counter with Logan Gilbert, who enters at 8-6 with a 3.46 ERA and 139 strikeouts. Even though Gilbert has taken a step back from his stellar 2025 numbers, he’s still been pretty darn good, and his 13.9% swinging-strike rate shows he has the stuff to escape a first-inning jam if the Rays are able to generate traffic. Plus, Gilbert rarely issues free passes (5.4% walk rate), which boosts his NRFI outlook.

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.