The MLB is back in action with a light Thursday schedule on May 9. Most teams are already off for either rest or traveling to the site of their weekend series. This limits the number of games for the day and, in turn, the number of first innings to bet on. No run first inning (NRFI) has bettors predicting that neither team will score a run in the first inning. Here are our best NRFI bets for Thursday’s slate, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook,
Teddy Ricketson’s 2024 record against NRFI: 25-16-1
Best NRFI bets: Thursday, May 9
San Francisco Giants vs. Colorado Rockies (-110)
The Giants average the second-fewest first-inning runs per game in the league. Colorado is not far behind, tied for the 10th-fewest first-inning runs. Any game at Coors Field comes with risk, as players need to get decent contact for the ball to have a chance to float over the fence, but neither team has scored in the first inning so far in this series, and I think that continues Thursday.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers (-130)
The Cardinals rank in the middle of the pack for first-inning runs, but the team feels lifeless. St. Louis is 15-21, losing four in a row and six of its last seven. They will face rookie Tobias Myers, who should be able to get through the top of the order unscathed. The Brewers will take on Sonny Gray, who enters with a 4-1 record and a 0.89 ERA. He did allow two runs against Milwaukee in his first start against them, but they didn’t come until the seventh.
Game To Avoid
Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels
The Angels offense isn’t the concern here, it is the Royals and the pitching matchup. Kansas City averages the fifth-most first-inning runs in the MLB. They will start Michael Wacha (1-4, 5.50 ERA), and Reid Detmers (3-3, 4.24 ERA) will take the mound for Los Angeles. Neither starter has been very good this season, increasing the likelihood of a first-inning run.