We have another loaded sports slate on Sunday, specifically on the diamond, where the MLB rolls out a 13-game schedule for us to bet on. I'm heading the NRFI (No Runs First Inning) route, and below you can find my three favorite NRFI bets for Sunday.
- 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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Sunday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Los Angeles Angels (-135) vs. Chicago White Sox (+114) | O/U 8.5 (-108/-112)
Let's get started in the Windy City, where the Angels (1-1) and White Sox (1-1) are set up for a rubber match. Jack Kochanowicz gets the nod for the Halos, while the Southsiders opt for Davis Martin. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET from Rate Field in Chicago, IL.
This is a straight-up fade of these two miserable offenses. Yesterday's game finished 1-0 in favor of the Angels, and they've now managed to score just two runs in two games this season. They're running into Martin, who was serviceable with a 4.32 ERA last season. The only notable head-to-head data that we have is that Taylor Ward (2-4) and Nolan Schanuel (1-3, 2B) are a combined 3-7 (.429) against the right-hander. However, Los Angeles' "big three" of Ward (3-8), Schaunel (1-8), and Mike Trout (0-6) are a combined 4-22 (.182) this season.
On the flip side, the Sox were shut out on Saturday, and they logged only two hits in the 1-0 defeat. Their first three hitters of Miguel Vargas (0-5), Luis Robert Jr. (0-3), and Andrew Benintendi (1-6) are a combined 1-14 (.071) against Kochanowicz. This offense finished the 2024 campaign ranked dead last in team batting average (.221) and slugging percentage (.340), and I'll fade them in this spot. Give me the NRFI.
Pick: NRFI (-130)
Cleveland Guardians (-105) vs. Kansas City Royals (-115) | O/U 7.5 (-112/-108)
Getting underway at the same time as the Angels/Sox game is an A.L.Central showdown between the Guardians (1-1) and the Royals (1-1). This rubber match features a pitching battle between Tanner Bibee and Michael Wacha. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. ET from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO.
This is one of the juicier NRFIs on the board, but I think it's worth laying the vig considering this excellent pitching matchup. Wacha has found success against Cleveland in the past, limiting their current roster to a slash line of .230/.287/.338 over 74 at-bats. Specifically, Steven Kwan (3-for-13), Jose Ramirez (4-for-16), and Kyle Manzardo (0-for-2), their top three hitters, are a combined 7-for-31 (.226) against Wacha. The right-hander was lights out at home last season, posting a 2.89 ERA across 81.0 innings pitched.
As for Bibee, he was supposed to start on Thursday but was pulled due to food poisoning. The right-hander will make his season debut, and he's coming off a year where he was 22nd in ERA (3.47), 18th in WHIP (1.12), and 17th in punchouts (187). It has been mixed results for Kansas City against Bibee, but I like the hurler's chances to escape with a clean bottom of the 1st. He's faced Jonathan India (0-for-3), Bobby Witt Jr. (4-for-13, HR), Vinnie Pasquantino (6-for-8, 2 HR, 2B), and Salvador Perez (0-for-11) in the past. If he can navigate Pasquantino, who's an indifferent 2-for-7 (.286) this year, then this NRFI should cash.
Pick: NRFI (-150)
Atlanta Braves (+105) vs. San Diego Padres (-125) | O/U 8.0 (-115/-105)
All roads lead to a Sunday Night Baseball showdown between the Braves (0-3) and the Padres (3-0). Atlanta will turn to AJ Smith-Shawver as they try to avoid the brooms. San Diego counters with Nick Pivetta in this marquee National League game, which gets underway at 7:10 p.m. ET from Petco Park in San Diego, CA.
For as much offensive firepower as there is in this game, I still think it's worth playing the NRFI. Pivetta will make his Padres debut, and he's tasked with mowing down a Braves side that was blanked in a 1-0 affair yesterday. Atlanta is now 0-3, and they're averaging only 2.3 runs per game. Additionally, the Braves' top three hitters of Jurickson Profar (0-for-3), Austin Riley (5-for-21), and Matt Olson (2-for-12) are just 7-for-36 (.194) against Pivetta.
As for Smith-Shawver, he made just one start last season, posting a 0.00 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 4.1 innings of work. He'll be looking to slow down a Friars club that's scoring a modest 4.0 runs per game this season. The right-hander has faced some of San Diego's top-of-the-order hitters, and Fernando Tatis Jr. (1-for-1, HR), Luis Arraez (1-for-1), and Manny Machado (0-for-1) have found some success. But that trio went just 1-for-10 (.100) yesterday, and Machado exited early with a calf issue. I like Smith-Shawver to turn in a scoreless inning under the primetime lights.
Pick: NRFI (-130)
