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Read our best NRFI betting picks today - Major League Baseball NRFI predictions for 6/21/2025. No Runs First Inning (NRFI) betting tips, expert MLB predictions, odds, and trends.
It was a weird week for NRFIs, and with the weather shifting to hot temperatures across much of the country, it could be time to start entertaining more YRFI bets as offenses are starting to warm up.
All 30 teams are in action today, with most of those games happening in the late afternoon or evening. I'm trusting the process and going back to the NRFI in several spots, while also attacking a few YRFI spots that feel like they demand our attention.
On this page, I'll provide my best NRFI and YRFI bets today for MLB games on Saturday, June 21, 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 21, 2025)
- Detroit Tigers at Tampa Bay Rays: 12:10 pm
- Seattle Mariners at Chicago Cubs: 2:20 pm
- Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins: 4:10 pm
- Kansas City Royals at San Diego Padres: 7:15 pm
- Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies: 9:10 pm
- Houston Astros at L.A. Angels: 9:40 pm
Detroit Tigers at Tampa Bay Rays NRFI (-115 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- DET: Sawyer Gipson-Long
- TBR: Ryan Pepiot
Detroit is finally ready to let their young pitching prospect Sawyer Gipson-Long start instead of having him work behind an opener. It's only his second official start of the season, though he's made three appearances overall. I like his stuff, and the matchup here is pretty good as Tampa is just 2-8 on YRFIs over their last ten and a bottom-five NRFI team on the season.
For Tampa, it's Ryan Pepiot on the mound, and he brings a strong 11-4 NRFI record with him. Pepiot has been the ace of this staff over the last month, and the Tigers are also just 2-8 on YRFIs over their last ten.
We are getting our best odds of the day here on the early game NRFI, but I like both young pitchers enough to give them my vote of confidence in this spot.
Atlanta Braves at Miami Marlins NRFI (-125 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- ATL: Grant Holmes
- MIA: Eury Perez
Grant Holmes is coming off the best start of his career, as he finished with 15 strikeouts against the Rockies his last time out. He gets the Marlins, a bottom-ten offense, on the road today in a good pitchers' park. Holmes has a sparkling 12-2 NRFI record, too.
Grant Holmes has THIRTEEN strikeouts 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/7BvVjXLwkJ
— MLB (@MLB) June 15, 2025
Perez is set to make his third start for Miami since returning from injury. I'll admit he has not looked sharp, but he could still be shaking the rust off after a long rehab. We have seen what Perez can do when healthy, and he has as much potential as any young pitcher in baseball. We just need one inning here, so I am not too worried about his workload or the fact that he hasn't dominated as we expected.
Kansas City Royals at San Diego Padres NRFI (-130 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- KCR: Noah Cameron
- SDP: Dylan Cease
We get an intriguing matchup here between a rookie lefty for KC and the grizzled veteran from San Francisco. Cameron has impressed in his first season in the majors. He bounced back from his first loss against the Yankees with a strong start last time out against the Athletics. He's now 6-1 on NRFIs and will face a Padres team that has been slumping at the plate.
Cease has faced the Dodgers twice in a row and racked up 20 strikeouts across those two starts. He blanked them the first time out, but gave up six runs in the rematch. Despite his 4.69 ERA, he's still one of the more well-respected hard-throwing right-handers in the league. I like the matchup for Cease here, as the Royals have struggled offensively against RHP this season.
Cease also comes into this game with a solid 11-4 NRFI record of his own and a three-game NRFI streak.
Houston Astros at L.A. Angels (-130 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- HOU: Brandon Walter
- LAA: Jose Soriano
I love this spot for Houston rookie lefty Brandon Walter. He's coming off a gem against the Twins in his last start and off to a very impressive beginning to his career with a 1.53 ERA and 27% K% across his first three starts.
Brandon Walter, Frisbee 80mph Sweeper. 🥏
20 inches of Break. pic.twitter.com/RVo92Yxbul
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 8, 2025
The Angels rank 28th against LHP over the last two weeks in terms of wRC+ and are striking out at a 28% clip. I will be hammering Walter's K prop today in addition to this NRFI bet.
The matchup for Jose Soriano is much tougher as Houston is streaking offensively and doing some damage in the early innings with a 50% YRFI rate over their last ten games.
But Soriano comes into this one in excellent form, having allowed just one earned run over his last two starts against the Athletics and Yankees while striking out 18 hitters. He's 11-4 on NRFIs this season and has the benefit of the platoon advantage against a lineup of almost all right-handed hitters in the Houston lineup.
YRFI Parlay (+152 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Seattle at Chicago (-180 DK)
Starting Pitchers
- SEA: Emerson Hancock
- CHC: Cade Horton
This is one of the best hitting environments on the slate today as it's hot and humid in Chicago with significant winds blowing out to center field. Hancock is the worst starter in the Seattle rotation, and Horton is a rookie who has some shaky advanced stats.
The Cubs are sporting a 40% offensive NRFI in their last ten games, while Seattle is at 30%. We have some elite home run hitters coming up in the first inning for both teams and conditions that are going to help the ball fly out of the yard.
Arizona at Colorado (-160 DK)
Starting Pitchers
- ARI: Merrill Kelly
- COL: Carson Palmquist
Excellent hitting conditions at Coors again today, and we could see these teams pop off for huge offensive production as they did last night when they combined for 22 runs.
Merrill Kelly is just 8-7 on YRFIs this season and will have to face a Rockies lineup that has been a top-seven offense vs. RHP over the last two weeks. Palmquist is just 3-3 on NRFI, too, and the Snakes will be licking their chops after making quick work of Austin Gomber yesterday.
Notable NRFI/YRFI MLB Trends: Last 10 Games
- Best NRFI hit rate: Brewers (90%)
- Best YRFI hit rate: Red Sox, Giants, Astros (50%)
- Most First Inning Home Runs: Astros (4)
- Best First Inning Batting Average: Astros (.326)
- Best First Inning On-Base Percentage: Rays (.409)
As the weather heats up and bats start to follow suit, finding the right NRFI bets today requires a sharper edge than ever. Saturday’s full MLB slate offers plenty of value for savvy bettors, especially in select matchups where strong starting pitching meets cold offenses.
While YRFI plays are gaining traction in hotter ballparks, MLB NRFI betting remains a reliable path when the trends and data align. Today’s best NRFI picks blend elite early-inning arms with underperforming top-of-the-order lineups, offering a great balance between risk and reward. I am going to stick to my process and trust the data for my NRFI picks today, but I am also embracing the YRFI with the final parlay piece.
Good luck if you choose to tail these bets, and please remember to bet responsibly!
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