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Read our best NRFI betting picks today - Major League Baseball NRFI predictions for 8/2/2025. No Runs First Inning (NRFI) betting tips, expert MLB predictions, odds, and trends.
For my last round of NRFI picks on Tuesday, we unfortunately dipped below the .500 mark as we went 2-3 on the five picks, bringing my total record to 8-7 so far. We've yet to go any better than 3-2 on a given slate, and we'll continue striving for one of those glorious days.
We have a fully loaded Saturday slate of baseball, and we'll fire up four NRFIs and then pick our spot with a YRFI. The first-ever MLB game at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee takes place Saturday night between Atlanta and Cincinnati, and we'll have a bet lined up for it.
On this page, I'll provide my best NRFI bets today for MLB games on Saturday, August 2, 2025. Monitor the weather and lineups for each team before placing your wagers. Odds for these bets are from DraftKings or FanDuel Sportsbook.
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What Are MLB NRFI/YRFI Bets?
NRFI bets are bets where you try to pick whether or not two MLB teams will combine for one run in the first inning. YRFI stands for "Yes Run First Inning," while NRFI means "No Run First Inning."
We prefer to target NRFI because it tends to occur more frequently, which is why you usually see shorter odds than on YRFI. This strategy can change on a slate with worse pitching options, and we have seen offenses start to push back against the NRFI in the summer months, when hitting conditions are better.
The best part of NRFI wagers is how they settle so quickly. This is a fun sweat, as these six outs can be thrilling, especially if your pitcher works his way out of a jam. Remember to only go with a smaller percentage of your bankroll because this can be a volatile market, with even the best pitchers struggling in the first inning.
Best First Inning Bets Today (August 1, 2025)
- Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays: 3:07 pm
- Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals: 4:05 pm
- San Francisco Giants at New York Mets: 4:10 pm
- Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati Reds: 7:15 pm
- St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres: 10:10 pm
Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays NRFI (-115 FanDuel Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- KC: Noah Cameron
- TOR: Max Scherzer
Both starters in this matchup have limited baserunners effectively this season, with Cameron holding a clean 1.00 WHIP and the future Hall of Famer Scherzer with a 1.09 WHIP after spending a good amount of time on the injured list.
Cameron doesn't throw hard with an average fastball velocity of 92.4 mph, but distributes his five-pitch mix evenly and effectively. And Scherzer might be getting into his groove after shoving his last time out.
Solid outing from Max Scherzer on his 41st birthday 🫡 pic.twitter.com/IqLgVDyoSM
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 27, 2025
Neither offense has been overly effective in the first inning recently. The Blue Jays are tied for the worst in the league over the past 10 games, scoring just once. Over the last 30 games, the Royals are in the top third for first-inning scoring, but we are entrusting Scherzer to handle what's mostly been a bad Royals offense for most of the season.
Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals NRFI (-125 FanDuel Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- MIL: Brandon Woodruff
- WAS: Jake Irvin
Woodruff has been the man since returning from his long absence from injury, with an ERA of 2.01 and a ridiculous 31% K-BB%. He is striking out more batters than ever while walking the fewest. On the other side, Irvin is coming off one of his better starts of the season in Minnesota, throwing seven innings of two-run ball.
It is worth acknowledging, however, that Irvin has given up the most runs in the first inning this season, with 21. However, he gets a good matchup against a team that doesn't like scoring in the first, so something has to give.
Brandon Woodruff's 2Ks in the 3rd. pic.twitter.com/tVHrWPKIJd
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 27, 2025
The Brew Crew, despite owning the best record in baseball, are tied for the most times being shut out in the first inning over the last 30 games, scoring just four times. The Nationals are marginally better with six scores in the last 30. We are trusting the trends here a bit, along with one hoss on the mound to get half the job done.
San Francisco Giants at New York Mets NRFI (-145 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- SF: Kai-Wei Teng
- NYM: Kodai Senga
Teng is set to make his first start of the 2025 season after eviscerating Triple-A hitters for most of the season. He's split time between relieving and starting, and his 37.9% strikeout rate is sixth best among all pitchers at Triple-A this year (min. 50 innings). And Senga has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season with a pristine 2.00 ERA in 85.2 innings.
Giants SP Kai-Wei Teng has interesting arsenal. Wide, no standout pitch.
4s / 241 thrown / 90 AAA Stuff+
SI / 107 / 95 Stuff+
ST / 324 / 106 Stuff+
CU / 107 / 102 Stuff+
CH / 49 / 102 Stuff+
SL / 30 / 101 Suff+Only Sweeper has above-ave locations --> fits his command grades.
— Eno Sarris (@enosarris) August 1, 2025
The Giants have been pretty feeble against right-handed pitching in July, with a .706 OPS and .310 xwOBA. They're more middle of the pack in first inning scoring over their last 30 games with a 22-8 record. Conversely, the Mets have the same record and will be seeing Teng for the first time.
Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati Reds YRFI (+100 FanDuel Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- ATL: Spencer Strider
- CIN: Chase Burns
We're taking our shot with a YRFI in this historic matchup at Bristol Motor Speedway. Both starting pitchers, Strider and Burns, share a ton of similarities with electric fastball-slider combinations and plenty of whiffs. Another negative similarity is that they've both been brutal in the first inning this season. They both own WHIPs over 2.50, with Strider conceding a .379 opponent's batting average and Burns allowing .364.
The pitchers will likely be juiced up for this one with a monster crowd, and scoring could be elevated on the national stage.
Here's the first look at an official MLB field inside a NASCAR track 🤯
The Speedway Classic will take place next Saturday, Aug. 2nd between the Braves and Reds pic.twitter.com/lJ5f027TKd
— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2025
Both teams just put up eight runs in an inning two nights ago, hopefully they can bring us home one right? The Reds are tied for the second-best record for scoring in the first inning over their last 30 games at 19-11. At the same time, the Braves are clustered in the middle at 22-8. Considering the struggles for the pitchers in the first inning for the season and the environment in this one, even odds feel fairly favorable.
St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres NRFI (-104 FanDuel Sportsbook)
- STL: Michael McGreevy
- SD: Randy Vasquez
McGreevy just faced the Padres last Sunday and got blasted for seven runs in 4.2 innings. Who doesn't love a good bounce-back spot? He'll look to take advantage of a Padres offense that has scored in the first inning just five times over their last 30 games, which includes one against McGreevy.
Randy Vasquez has a solid ERA at 3.65 in 103.2 innings this year, but it hasn't been pretty, as he is the only starter to have a K-BB% below 1%. But he's at least been effective to start the game, with a 2.57 ERA in 21 games.
Randy Vázquez, running through a rainstorm, dry as a bone. No Ks, no problems. What a hero.
(Paragraph via @AJCassavell) pic.twitter.com/74RoIlKHgY
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) July 22, 2025
As mentioned before, the Padres have the third-worst record for first-inning shutouts over their last 30 games at 25-5, with the Cardinals slotting in just a tick above with a 23-7 record. Neither starting pitcher is flashy, but we just need six outs in any fashion.
Notable NRFI/YRFI MLB Trends: Last 10 Games
- Best NRFI hit rate: Braves, Rockies, Twins, Blue Jays, Brewers, Cardinals (90%)
- Best YRFI hit rate: Orioles, Guardians, Athletics, Dodgers (50%)
- Most First Inning Home Runs: Athletics (5)
- Best First Inning Batting Average: Athletics (.391)
- Best First Inning On-Base Percentage: Athletics (.431)
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