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Read our best NRFI betting picks today - Major League Baseball NRFI predictions for 7/8/2025. No Runs First Inning (NRFI) betting tips, expert MLB predictions, odds, and trends.
We split our card yesterday, hitting two of four NRFI bets. The loss that hurt the most was the Dodgers-Brewers game, where Milwaukee posted a five-spot in the first inning against Dodgers' ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It was a two-out, three-run home run that busted up the NRFI and led to the big inning and a painful reminder that the home run ball is the biggest enemy of the NRFI!
With all 30 teams in action today, there are plenty of games to choose from. So I am back with four more NRFI picks tonight AND a YRFI that I think has a great chance of hitting, too.
On this page, I'll provide my best NRFI and YRFI bets today for MLB games on Tuesday, July 8, 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 (July 8, 2025)
- Colorado Rockies at Boston Red Sox: 7:10 pm
- Miami Marlins at Cincinnati Reds: 7:10 pm
- Pittsburgh Pirates at Kansas City Royals: 7:40 pm
- Cleveland Guardians at Houston Astros: 8:10 pm
- Texas Rangers at LA Angels: 9:38 pm
Colorado Rockies at Boston Red Sox YRFI (-120 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- COL: Kyle Freeland
- BOS: Brayan Bello
Let's start with a YRFI! We have the two lowest strikeout pitchers on the slate facing off, with Freeland and Bello on the mound. Both guys have around 16% strikeout rates, which means we should see a lot of balls put in play in the first frame.
Boston has been smashing lefties lately, as they can roll out a very RHH-heavy lineup, and they bump Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu down to the bottom half of the lineup. The Sox have piled up 36 runs over their last four games and have some of the best first-inning stats in MLB over their last 10 games.
Freeland has allowed five first-inning home runs this year and has a terrible 2.06 first-inning WHIP.
Ceddanne Rafaela NO DOUBTER
SHOULD'VE BEEN AN ALL-STAR! pic.twitter.com/0Wfil8q8o6
— NESN (@NESN) July 8, 2025
If Boston fails to score, then I like Colorado here, too. Despite their reputation as a terrible offense, they have some hot hitters of their own and are facing a high WHIP pitcher in Bello. His WHIP on the season is 1.38, and his first-inning WHIP is 1.77.
The combined NRFI record here for both pitchers is 15-14. With good hitting conditions and bad pitchers on the mound, I like our chances for a first-inning run (or more) in this one.
Miami Marlins at Cincinnati Reds NRFI (-120 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- MIA: Eury Perez
- CIN: Nick Martinez
The Marlins' top pitching prospect, Perez, has shown signs of regaining his 2024 form lately. Perez is coming off six strong innings of shutout baseball with seven strikeouts against Minnesota and has two straight NRFIs.
The Reds send righty Nick Martinez to the bump, and he brings a 12-5 NRFI record with him. Martinez isn't a flashy starter or a pitcher who strikes out a lot of hitters, but he also rarely gets blown up and has done well to avoid the big inning. He has a two-game NRFI streak of his own.
This ballpark is always scary for NRFIs because of the home run ball, but I like this pitching matchup enough to overrule my HR fears. The Reds have been slow starters of late, too, with a 2-8 YRFI record over their last 10 games.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Kansas City Royals NRFI (-135 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- PIT: Mitch Keller
- KCR: Seth Lugo
This is an excellent pitching matchup, especially for NRFI purposes. I also bet the full game total under eight runs today, too, as I think both Keller and Lugo stand a good chance at shutting down the opposing offenses.
Neither Keller nor Lugo gets much hype, but both come into this game in top form and are having solid seasons. Keller has a 13-5 NRFI record and a three-game NRFI streak intact, while Lugo is 14-2 on NRFIs this season and is riding a six-game NRFI streak.
Lugo has been dynamite in terms of strikeouts, too, whiffing at least six or more hitters in four straight starts.
These two offenses have been bad against RHP over the last month; there's no way around it. KC ranks 27th in wRC+ vs. RHP, while Pittsburgh is right behind them at 28th.
I'll happily back these two underrated starters in this spot.
Cleveland Guardians at Houston Astros NRFI (-145 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- CLE: Joey Cantillo
- HOU: Hunter Brown
We cashed the NRFI on the first game of this series last night, even while it ended up a fairly high-scoring affair. I am going right back to it tonight as the Astros roll out their ace, Hunter Brown, who has an elite NRFI record of 14-3 and has been dominant all season long.
The Guardians have to go with their young lefty, Joey Cantillo, as Luis L. Ortiz is still inactive due to the gambling investigation. Cantillo has made only one start this season, working mainly out of the bullpen, but has pitched effectively with a 3.39 SIERA and a strong 29.7% K%.
Hunter Brown is an All-Star. pic.twitter.com/j9MIUECe3k
— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) July 6, 2025
If Cantillo can avoid walks early and keep the bases clear, I like his chances, and Brown could crush the Guardians, who have been one of the worst offenses in baseball for the last month.
Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels NRFI (-130 DraftKings Sportsbook)
Starting Pitchers
- TEX: Nathan Eovaldi
- LAA: Jose Soriano
Our final NRFI comes in the Rangers-Angels game. We missed this one last night as both teams struck for a run in the first inning, but I like the pitching matchup just as much tonight, if not a bit more.
Eovaldi made a successful return from the IL in his last start and has been an NRFI stalwart all season with an elite 12-2 NRFI record. He's been arguably better than deGrom when healthy this season and is a guy I trust to get it done, as he doesn't walk anyone and is having a career year in WHIP (0.85 - best on the slate).
For the Angels, Soriano is on a nice run lately, pitching very well in four of his last starts with one funky blow-up game in the middle of that stretch. He has a five-game NRFI streak intact and a very solid 14-4 NRFI record this season.
While these offenses are trending up, these pitchers have been fantastic early in games and come into this matchup in solid form.
Notable NRFI/YRFI MLB Trends: Last 10 Games
- Best NRFI hit rate: Orioles (100%)
- Best YRFI hit rate: Angels (40%)
- Most First Inning Home Runs: Blue Jays, Tigers (4)
- Best First Inning Batting Average: Red Sox (.446)
- Best First Inning On-Base Percentage: Red Sox (.508)
Conclusion
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