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Read our best NRFI betting picks today - Major League Baseball NRFI predictions for 6/27/2025. No Runs First Inning (NRFI) betting tips, expert MLB predictions, odds, and trends.
With a full slate of games tonight, there is no shortage of NRFI and YRFI opportunities! Yes, all 30 teams are in action, and I'm back to give you my five favorite first-inning wagers!
We continue to embrace the YRFI here as I have one of those for you tonight, but the rest are NRFIs. While we can look at the overall season data, I'll also be honing in on recent trends for pitchers and lineups as we attempt to find every edge we can against the books!
On this page, I'll provide my best NRFI and YRFI bets today for MLB games on Friday, June 27, 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. It's also just more enjoyable, as there's nothing more tilting than watching your team strand baserunners when you need them to score in the first inning.
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 (June 27, 2025)
- NY Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates: 6:40 pm
- St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Guardians: 7:10 pm
- Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers: 8:05 pm
- Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros: 8:10 pm
- LA Dodgers at Kansas City Royals: 8:10 pm
NY Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates NRFI (-115 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- NYM: David Peterson
- PIT: Mitch Keller
While neither pitcher in this matchup qualifies as a true ace, we have to recognize that both guys have been pretty good this year, both overall and in the first inning.
Peterson's first-inning numbers are spectacular as he owns a 13-2 NRFI record and a sparkling 0.60 first-inning WHIP. Keller hasn't been quite as lights-out, but still has a strong 11-5 mark on NRFIs for the home team Pirates.
Both offenses come into this game with identical 2-8 YRFI records over their last ten games. My biggest concern would be the red-hot Juan Soto against Mitch Keller in the top of the first as Soto has killed a few NRFIs for me lately with solo home runs, but the odds we are getting here at -115 are worth risking it and Keller has done a pretty good job overall keeping the ball in the yard with a 0.53 HR/9 this season.
St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Guardians NRFI (-115 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- STL: Sonny Gray
- CLE: Luis L. Ortiz
This is another good spot for an NRFI tonight at respectable odds. Both pitchers come into this game in good form and with identical 11-4 NRFI records. Gray has reeled off four straight NRFIs, while Ortiz has recorded five in a row.
Luis L. Ortiz went six shutout innings with ten strikeouts vs. the A's pic.twitter.com/aeFumpp6ro
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 22, 2025
Ortiz is coming off perhaps his best start of the year against the Athletics, giving me some confidence that he can tame the Cardinals tonight, too. The Cleveland offense is mediocre at best, ranking 24th in wRC+ against RHP this season, so Gray is also in a good spot here.
As far as recent trends, both teams are 2-8 on YRFIs over their last ten games. I give the advantage to the starters here based on their solid recent form and the negative trends for the opposing offenses.
Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers NRFI (-145 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- SEA: Logan Gilbert
- TEX: Nathan Eovaldi
These are the worst odds on my NRFI bets tonight, but I get it as it's easily the best pitching matchup. Logan Gilbert is a stud, and despite his 4-4 NRFI record, I still give him the upper hand here against the Rangers, who are just 2-8 on YRFIs over their last ten.
Texas returns Eovaldi to their rotation after he missed most of the last month on the IL. Before going down with the injury, Eovaldi was pitching as well as anyone in baseball and had an elite 11-1 NRFI record. The Mariners are also just 2-8 on YRFIs, and if Eovaldi can pitch around the beast Cal Raleigh, I think he stands a great chance of keeping a clean first frame.
These odds aren't all that great, but I think we are getting a bit of a discount compared to earlier in the season when we probably would have seen this matchup priced around -160 or higher.
Chicago Cubs at Houston Astros YRFI (-110 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- CHC: Cade Horton
- HOU: Brandon Walter
Alright, it's time for a YRFI! I'll start with the Cubs, who have the fifth-best ISO against LHP this season and will face Houston rookie Brandon Walter. While Walter has a perfect 4-0 NRFI record, we did see him give up seven runs on nine hits in his last start. I give the Cubs the advantage here against the youngster and if there's one guy who could help us cash with just one swing, it's Chicago outfielder Seiya Suzuki, who has demolished LHP this season.
The Cubs have the best YRFI record (6-4) of any team in baseball over their last ten games; they are very dangerous early in ballgames.
The Astros have flipped the script on their season-long record by going 4-6 on YRFIs over the last ten, too. That offense had been heating up before running into the wall that is the Phillies' starting rotation. I like their chances of getting to Chicago rookie Cade Horton, who has been just 3-4 on NRFIs this season and comes in with a first-inning WHIP of 2.00 and an opposing batting average of .355.
LA Dodgers at Kansas City Royals NRFI (+100 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- LAD: Dustin May
- KCR: Noah Cameron
Now, for some really good odds, we are going with an NRFI in the Royals-Dodgers matchup. While the Dodgers have one of the best lineups in baseball, they have not scored in the first inning in ten straight games, the longest streak in MLB. The Dodgers haven't even recorded a hit during that stretch!
They'll face an impressive rookie, Noah Cameron, who sports a 7-1 NRFI record and 0.50 first-inning WHIP. If Cameron can get through the top of the first, then we get Dustin May against the Royals' top of the lineup.
Dustin May, DEMONIC 3423 RPM Sweeper. 😳👿 pic.twitter.com/3P7s0VRANe
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 3, 2025
May is 9-5 on NRFIs this season, but has tossed two perfect first frames in a row coming into this one. I like his chances against KC's lineup that ranks just 27th in wRC+ against RHP this season.
Notable NRFI/YRFI MLB Trends: Last 10 Games
- Best NRFI hit rate: Dodgers (100%)
- Best YRFI hit rate: Cubs (40%)
- Most First Inning Home Runs: Cubs (6)
- Best First Inning Batting Average: Rays (.359)
- Best First Inning On-Base Percentage: Rays (.432)
Conclusion:
With all 30 teams in action, tonight’s packed MLB slate presents prime opportunities for NRFI and YRFI betting. From elite pitching matchups to struggling top-of-the-order offenses, we've carefully selected five of the best MLB NRFI/YRFI bets to target.
While we do feature one YRFI, most of our focus is on NRFI bets today, backed by recent trends, pitcher performance, and matchup data. Whether you're chasing value or trying to beat the closing number, these insights offer a sharp edge.
Be sure to track weather and lineups, and come back daily for the most reliable NRFI betting content in MLB. Good luck if you choose to tail these bets, and please remember to bet responsibly!
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