MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Bet Odds & Picks: Thursday (10/17)
The playoffs have been rolling and we got a pair of Conference Series matchups that are bound to excite. The Guardians try to claw their way back in the series against the Yankees as the series goes to Cleveland, while the Dodgers try to take a commanding lead against the Mets in New York. NRFI stands for No Runs First Inning. It's a popular betting market where gamblers wager on whether the first inning of an MLB game will end with zero runs scored by either team. Pretty simple.
NRFI bets are the best because they're quick - sometimes you'll know the outcome within minutes. If you've done your research, NRFI bets can provide an edge over other markets. I'm here to help provide that edge. As always, shop around for the best odds and be on the lookout for lineup announcements, which can change a lot.
Let's dive into these two games.
- MLB NRFI/YRFI Cheat Sheet - Team View
- MLB NRFI/YRFI Cheat Sheet - Matchup View
- MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- MLB Consensus Odds
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Thursday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
Last Time: 0-2 | MLB Season: 29-23 | Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
New York Yankees at Cleveland Guardians
Starting Pitchers: Clarke Schmidt vs. Matthew Boyd
Matthew Boyd will take the bump for Cleveland and he's been solid these playoffs so far, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings across his two starts with five hits allowed. Of course, that means two games allowing no runs in the opening frame. Across the season, he performed better at home and boasted a solid 2.25 ERA in the first inning in his eight starts. He's also limited Gleyber Torres to a 1-for-9 mark against him lifetime and the rest of the top of the Yankees order doesn't have much experience against the southpaw.
New York was one of the better teams in scoring early but in the six playoff games, they've scored twice in the first inning and were much better at early scoring in New York. Clarke Schmidt counters with the Yankees. He was lights out this year on the road with a 1.39 ERA. It gets better as he boasts a 1.69 ERA in the first inning, allowing three earned runs in 16 starts. This isn't the best odds but it's a clear bet for this game.
Play: NRFI (-125)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets
Starting Pitchers: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Jose Quintana
It hasn't made much sense but Jose Quintana has found the fountain of youth, finishing the regular season with a 0.72 ERA in his last four starts of the regular season. He has held opponents scoreless in his two postseason starts across 11.0 innings. In the first inning this year, Quintana has been solid with a 3.19 ERA in the first inning. Shohei Ohtani is expected to lead off and has worse splits against lefties while Mookie Betts doesn't exactly have the best history against Quintana.
Yamamoto hasn't been the best and allowed three runs in the first inning against San Diego only a week and a half ago. On the season, Yamamoto held a 2.06 road ERA in eight starts. Francisco Lindor is 0-for-3 against the Dodgers starter and Brandon Nimmo is 0-for-2. I'm going to trust the matchups here.
Play: NRFI (-150)
Make sure to check out our other best bets for Thursday: