Baseball is faster than ever with the implementation of the pitch clock, but the DraftKings Sportsbook also has a market for those who still can’t wait 2.5 hours for results. NRFI bets (No Run First Inning) are exactly what they sound like. They give the bettor the ability to wager specifically on the outcome of a game’s opening frame. Will either team score a run? Yes or no? It’s that simple.
With that in mind, here are my top two NRFI picks for Friday night’s full slate of MLB action.
Athletics at Mets NRFI (-135)
It’s a little shocking that the Mets have been one of the worst NRFI teams in baseball through the opening couple weeks of the season. In fact, eight of New York’s 13 games have had scoring in the opening frame, including each of its past three contests. All this despite very underwhelming results from a much-heralded top of the order trio in Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette and Juan Soto. Lindor comes into Friday’s action in possession of a .157 average and without a single RBI; Bichette has two extra base hits and a 53 wRC+ in his 61 plate appearances; and Soto’s on the 10-day IL with a calf issue. Heck, even expected clean-up hitter Jorge Polanco (Achilles) might be headed to IL to join his teammate. I’m just not sure how this team is ever finding the scoreboard in the first frame.
On the other side of the matchup, we find the Athletics. The nomad A’s were supposed to have one of the top offenses in MLB in 2026, yet they currently sit 23rd in wRC+ (88) and 27th in expected wOBA (.291). The team also sports the second-highest strikeout rate in the league (28.9%). It’s a flawed unit. This evening, it’s Clay Holmes who will be tasked with keeping the Athletics quiet once again. The RHP has allowed just two earned runs in his 12.2 innings this season. Last season, Holmes also registered the exact splits you’d expect from a converted reliever. Holmes had a 2.26 ERA his first trip through an opposing order and a 4.41 ERA the rest of the time. The point being: Teams do not often get to Holmes early.
Giants at Orioles NRFI (-130)
Few clubs have been as kind to NRFI bettors as the Orioles in 2026, who are 10-2 in the market through 12 games. Let’s see if they can make that 11-2 this evening in a matchup with the Giants.
Things have gotten slightly better for San Francisco since being shutout in its first two contests of the season, but if we’re being honest, that’s an incredibly low bar to clear. For 2026 as a whole, the Giants have hit the fewest home runs in baseball (5) and their 78 wRC+ is the second-lowest mark in the league. It’s been an incredibly rough go, and while the team’s prospects are rosier outside of Oracle Park, Shane Baz has looked good in an Orioles’ uniform, throwing harder than ever through two appearances.
Baltimore’s also been struggling to leave the park, having only mustered eight long balls to this point in the season. This is a lineup that’s far deeper than San Francisco’s, yet it hasn’t really showcased the quick-strike ability that can haunt those with a NRFI ticket. Landen Roupp looks like he could be the real deal, too. The sample size is obviously small, but after the RHP managed a solid campaign as a full-time starter in 2025, Roupp has come out of the gates hot in 2026. 31.8% strikeout rate? 63.0% ground ball rate? 1.37 FIP? You have my attention, sir.
