For the first time in the new season, all 30 Major League Baseball teams are on the scoreboard this Saturday, with eight games in the afternoon and seven more games under the lights. As opening weekend continues, bettors have many options to consider when building a card for this massive slate, and few wagers are more exciting than the No Run First Inning (NRFI) props.
NRFI prop bets are very simple but also seriously difficult. Six outs without any scoring is all that is needed to cash in, and this style of prop is quick-hitting, easy to track and supremely straightforward. Still, most days it’s easier said than done. Finding the right pitchers and the best value is crucial, so be sure to consider all the factors as you assemble your NRFI picks.
Be sure to check out the new NRFI Trends Tracker on DK Network as you make your selections this Saturday. Taking a look at the options, here are my top three NRFI bets for Saturday on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Athletics at Blue Jays NRFI (-105)
The A’s and Jays started their season Friday night, and Toronto pulled out a narrow, 3-2 walkoff win. No runs were scored in the first three innings, even though the NRFI got all the way to +100 by first pitch. I had it in my top NRFI plays for yesterday at slightly shorter odds but it delivered the green either way. The top of both lineups is loaded, so either team can quickly smash an NRFI bet, but it’s still a prop I’m coming back to for value on Saturday.
Dylan Cease will be making his Blue Jays debut after pitching last year in San Diego with a 71.9% NFRI rate without allowing a first-inning run in 23 of his 32 starts. He didn’t give up a first-inning run in seven of his last 10 starts, which is also true of his counterpart Jeffrey Springs, although Springs’ overall NRFI numbers weren’t nearly as good, mostly because his home games were at Sutter Health Park, where NRFI hardly ever hit. The A’s’ numbers from last year overall are skewed high due to that home park bias, but on the road they had the fourth-highest NRFI rate in baseball.
Cease and Springs aren’t necessarily aces, but both veteran hurlers have a good shot to navigate the first inning with a run allowed, and even with so much power near the top of both batting orders, this is one of my favorite NRFI targets Saturday night.
Tigers at Padres NRFI (-130)
The Tigers and Padres are playing their third game of the season at 8:40 p.m. ET and had an NRFI hit on Friday after runs were scored in the first inning on Thursday. In the third game of the series, Jack Flaherty gets the ball for the Tigers on the road against Randy Vasquez for the Padres. Both Flaherty and Vasquez hit NRFI in eight of their last 10 starts of 2025, and both of them have 75% NRFI for their career.
Flaherty had a rough spring training, giving up 11 runs in 12 2/3 innings, while Vasquez gave up 10 runs in 18 1/3 innings in spring training. Both veteran righties should be ready when the lights go on for real, though, and neither offense has started extremely hot. Petco Park was slightly better for NRFI than league average last year, and both the Tigers and Padres were also slightly above league average at NRFI hit rate.
Diamondbacks at Dodgers NRFI (+105)
We got away with poking the bear on Friday night and taking NRFI against the mighty Dodgers, and the numbers indicate it makes sense to run it back again on Saturday, so let’s walk on the wild side! Getting any NRFI bet at even money is unusual, but these odds feel especially high for this matchup. Tyler Glasnow will start for the Dodgers, while WBC hero Eduardo Rodriguez gets the ball for Arizona. Glasnow is 99-29 (78%) in NRFI in his career, and he hit NRFI in 15 of his 18 starts last season. He didn’t allow a run in eight of his last 10 outings last season and had a solid spring.
Rodriguez started for Venezuela in the WBC Championship game and threw 4 1/3 shutout innings. He came to camp about 25 pounds lighter with some adjustments to his pitch grips, and so far they’ve looked impressive. Last year, E-Rod had an ERA over five, but he held the Dodgers scoreless in six innings in L.A. the only time he faced his division rivals.
With an improved Rodriguez and the reliable Glasnow, this could be the third straight game in this series to hit NRFI to start the season for both teams.
