MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Odds & Picks: Wednesday (10/2)
The 2024 MLB postseason continues with four Wild Card showdowns on Wednesday. The final score could send one side to the division series and the other home for good. However, the final score could also force a Game 3 on Thursday. It’s these different scenarios that make baseball’s playoff format one of the most thrilling across all sports.
Bettors wanting to get in on the action without sweating through an entire nine-inning contest can turn to MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) tickets for a quick result. Here's a look at MLB NRFI options that stick out when comparing odds on this week's hump day.
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Wednesday's Best MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Detroit Tigers (+142) at Houston Astros (-170)
Starting Pitchers: Tyler Holton vs. Hunter Brown
The Tigers kept their unexpected surge going with a 3-1 victory over the Astros on Tuesday. Tarik Skubal was outstanding through six shutout innings and now Detroit will shift to using Tyler Holton (7-2, 2.19 ERA) as an opener. On the other side, Houston trusts Hunter Brown (11-9, 3.49 ERA) to get the job done at Minute Maid Park. An NRFI wager has cashed in five of the seven meetings between these teams this year.
Brown will aim to get the crowd hyped with a clean frame. The 26-year-old has posted an impressive 3-0 record and 2.93 ERA across five career pitching appearances against the Tigers. Detroit is riding an undeniable hot streak, but it’s still a squad that finished the regular season with the fourth-lowest on-base percentage in the first inning. This is a matchup Brown has taken advantage of before and can again.
Utilizing an opener is a strategy the Tigers have employed often during the second half of this campaign. Holton has drawn nine starts and has escaped the first inning unscathed seven times while allowing a .156 opposing batting average. It’s worth mentioning that the Astros’ offense has put up a first-inning zero in 10 of its last 14 home playoff games. Expect pitching to prevail early on with everything dangling in the balance.
Bet: NRFI (-135)
Atlanta Braves (+100) at San Diego Padres (-120)
Starting Pitchers: Max Fried vs. Joe Musgrove
Outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.’s two-run homer gave the Padres an immediate lead versus the Braves on Tuesday night. It was a lead they never surrendered in a 4-0 win. Veteran hurlers are set to clash in Game 2 as Atlanta’s Max Fried (11-10, 3.25 ERA) and San Diego’s Joe Musgrove (6-5, 3.88 ERA) take the mound. Experience is the key to this selection as each pitcher has excelled against the batters they will face on Wednesday.
Musgrove has limited this Braves lineup to a .241/.315/.313 slash line over 83 at-bats. More importantly, he has not given up a home run to anyone on Atlanta’s active roster. An ability to take away the long ball from sluggers like Marcell Ozuna and Matt Olson puts Musgrove in a great spot. The right-hander has been particularly reliable at Petco Park, posting a 3.08 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 56 career starts at the stadium.
Conquering the top of the Padres’ order is not easy, but Fried has passed the test with flying colors in past clashes. San Diego hitters have slashed .266/.337/.330 with just four extra-base hits in 94 at-bats versus the crafty southpaw. Overall, Fried has logged a scoreless first inning in 20 of his last 22 starts. No one has crossed home plate in the first inning in 53 of Atlanta’s 82 road contests (64.6%). Lock this in.
Bet: NRFI (-155)