Betting on baseball games can include everything from which team will win to how many walks a pitcher will issue and everything in between. A bet growing in popularity has been wagering on whether or not a run will be scored in the first inning. Betting that no run will be scored (NRFI) or that one will (YRFI) can have you paying attention to games from the start and hanging on every pitch.
With that in mind, here are our favorite NRFI bets (and one YRFI) for the MLB action on Tuesday, April 30, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook,
Teddy Ricketson’s 2024 record against NRFI: 14-8-1
Best NRFI bets: Tuesday, April 30
Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays (-150)
Going with the Royals and Blue Jays really comes down to their pitching matchup. Cole Ragans (1-2, 3.90 ERA) is better than his ERA suggests, and Jose Berrios (4-1, 1.23 ERA) has been pitching well this season. Each team tallied two runs in the first inning of the series opener on Monday, but Tuesday’s starting pitchers should be able to keep the scoreboard clean heading into the second inning.
San Francisco Giants v s. Boston Red Sox (-140)
The Giants average the third-fewest first-inning runs this season (0.31). The Red Sox average 0.69 which is the eighth-highest rate of scoring in the first inning in the league, but they have to deal with San Francisco starter Logan Webb. He has picked up three wins in a row and didn’t allow a first-inning run in any of them.
Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox (-120)
Both Minnesota and Chicago rank in the bottom half of the league in first-inning runs. The Twins have scored the sixth-fewest, averaging 0.36, while the White Sox average 0.45. There is some worry here with Chicago starter Mike Soroka, who has a 0-3 record and a 6.83 ERA, but with the Twins’ top three hitters going a combined 0-9 in the series opener, he should be able to get through the first unscathed.
Game To Avoid (YRFI)
Colorado Rockies vs. Miami Marlins (-105)
The Marlins have a 6-24 record but are averaging the sixth-most first-inning runs in the league (0.77). Miami will take on Colorado starter Ryan Feltner (1-2, 5.68 ERA). He has made five starts this season and has allowed at least one first-inning run in all five. Sixto Sanchez will start his second game of the season on Tuesday and in the first allowed three earned runs in just 2.2 innings of work.