There are 15 MLB games scheduled for Tuesday, May 7, weather permitting. This means there will be 15 first innings to bet on whether or not a run will be scored. No run first inning (NRFI) and yes run first inning) are bets that are growing in popularity and refer to whether or not either team will score a run in the first inning of a particular game. With that in mind, here are our best NRFI bets for Tuesday’s action with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook,
Teddy Ricketson’s 2024 record against NRFI: 23-15-1
Best NRFI bets: Tuesday, May 7
Chicago White Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays (-120)
When deciding on which games to go with for an NRFI bet, you can look at how the teams’ offenses have fared scoring runs in the first inning, and you can look at the pitching match-up. Tampa Bay is averaging 0.42 runs in the first inning this season (ninth-fewest), while the White Sox rank in the middle of the order with their 0.49. The pitching matchup (Michael Soroka vs. Zach Eflin) is a little worrisome with their slow starts to the season, but I still think they get through the first inning unscathed.
Seattle Mariners vs. Minnesota Twins (-115)
Seattle and Minnesota are both underperforming this season, and it starts in the first inning. The Mariners average just 0.34 first-inning runs (seventh-fewest), while the Twins average 0.32 (fifth-fewest). Starter Emerson Hancock ad Bailey Ober have allowed a first-inning run in just one of their last three starts, respectively. This, combined with the offenses’ tendency to start slowly, has me thinking no runs will be scored in the first inning on Tuesday.
Game To Avoid
San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs
This is a risky choice because Chicago is starting Shota Imanaga, who enters with a 5-0 record and a 0.78 ERA. I’m more so banking on the Cubs’ lineup to tag San Diego starter Randy Vasquez (0-1, 5.87 ERA) for at least one run in the first inning. Chicago averages the seventh-most first-inning runs (0.64), and San Diego averages the third-most (0.84). This should be a recipe for runs early.