Look for the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers to remain quiet early on, despite the latter having yet to establish a starting pitcher. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds have a matchup that caters to the YRFI. North of the border, the St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays should post a clean first inning.
Friday's action will begin with a 2:20 p.m. ET first pitch at Wrigley Field. Make your selections early, and let's cash some NRFIs and YRFIs.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
More MLB Predictions:
- Best MLB Player Prop Bet Predictions for Friday, July 31
- Best MLB Home Run Prop Bets for Friday, July 31
Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today
Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Dodgers NRFI (-TBD)
Red Sox LHP Ranger Suarez is set to go Friday at 4-3 with a 3.02 ERA. His first-inning ERA is a little lackluster at 4.00, but he has kept runs off the board in the first in seven of nine starts. The Dodgers have yet to name a starter and could use a bullpen game. The uncertainty is not ideal, but the entire staff has a 4.00 ERA, 122 K’s, and a .234 opposing batting average in 108 first frames. Boston has also hit just .211 with a .681 OPS in the first inning this season. Trust the full staff to keep things quiet early.
Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds YRFI (+115)
Pirates ace Paul Skenes is having a bit of a down year at 9-9 with a 3.65 ERA. He has had some first-inning trouble with a 4.57 ERA. He hasn't been touched up in the first in three starts, but he's pitching in the bandbox that is the Great American Ball Park. Honestly, though, he's not who we're keying in on for the YRFI. Reds RHP Hunter Greene has not been good since returning from injury. He's 2-2 with a 7.06 ERA in four starts. He has been scored on in the first in three of them and has a 9.00 ERA.
St. Louis Cardinals at Toronto Blue Jays NRFI (-135)
Cards RHP Kyle Leahy has been a decent surprise at 7-4 with a 3.55 ERA. His ERA is 2.75 since the calendar turned to May. In 20 first frames, he has a 2.70 ERA. For the Jays, RHP Dylan Cease is in the running for the Cy Young Award at 7-5 with a 2.46 ERA. He's great in the first with a 2.84 ERA and 29 K's in 19 frames. The scoreboard operator should be able to chill early on in this one.
What Do NRFI and YRFI Mean in Baseball?
The term NRFI indicates no runs scored in the first inning. Its opposite, YRFI, indicates yes, there will be a run in the first inning. It doesn't matter if the run qualifies as an earned run or not. If a run crosses the plate in the first inning for either team, the wager loses for the NRFI side and wins for the YRFI side.
