Navigate

MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions: Sunday (5/14)

by |

All 30 teams are set to hit the field today as we wrap up another eventful week in Major League Baseball. The action leads to an interleague edition of Sunday Night Baseball between the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox from Fenway Park. 

From a betting standpoint, I've narrowed in on a trio of best bets for today's 15-game slate. They come in the form of No Runs First Inning (NRFI) wagers. Let's break down the matchups and lock in these bets!

MLB YTD: 29-44 (+10.72 Units)

Check out MLB Home Run Odds for all players in today's games >>

Sunday's Best No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Bets

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees 

The Rays have dropped two straight games to the Yankees, but they'll have an opportunity to salvage a series split today when they send Zach Eflin to the hill. New York counters with Clarke Schmidt for this divisional showdown set for 1:35 p.m. ET from Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY. 

Schmidt isn't off to the best of starts in his 2023 season, as he's just 1-3 with a 5.35 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. However, he has excellent numbers against Tampa Bay, limiting them to a .229/.229/.371 slash line in 35 at-bats. That includes an 0-6 (.000) mark from Randy Arozarena and a combined 0-2 (.000) from Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe. 

Eflin has been equally as effective against the Yankees in his career, holding the Bronx Bombers to a .229/.289/.257 slash line over 35 at-bats. Only one of the eight hits went for extra bases, a double from Anthony Rizzo, who is just 3-16 (.188) against him. Overall on the year, the right-hander is 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Let's lock in NRFI in this A.L. East clash. 

Bet: No Runs First Inning (-115)

Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox 

It's a matinee rubber match on the Southside as the Astros and White Sox wrap up their three-game series. Houston opts for Hunter Brown while Chicago hands the ball to Lucas Giolito. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET from Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, IL.

Giolito is having an exceptional start to the year, at least relative to how his 2022 season went. The right-hander comes into this one at 2-2 with a 3.59 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over eight starts. As for the head-to-head numbers, Giolito has held Houston to a .221/.286/.338 slash line in 77 at-bats.

Brown has been a serviceable option for the Astros this year, posting a 3-1 record to go along with a 3.23 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. At this point, it looks like the 24-year-old right-hander will be another solid arm that Houston's pitching staff continues to churn out. Look for Brown to have a decent outing against a lousy Chicago offense. They're currently 19th in team batting average (.238) and 24th in OPS (.685). 

Bet: No Runs First Inning (-140)

San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers 

The Dodgers will look to break out the brooms this afternoon when they go for their fifth straight overall victory. Tony Gonsolin gets the nod for Los Angeles, while the visiting San Diego Padres go with Ryan Weathers. This one is slated for 4:10 p.m. ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. 

Gonsolin will be making just his fourth start of the year this afternoon. The right-hander comes into this one at 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. He's been excellent versus the divisional foe over his career, limiting them to a .211/.222/.394 slash line in 71 at-bats. 

Weathers has been throwing well this season, going 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. The left-hander appears to be the kryptonite to Los Angeles' offense, as they're just 1-24 (.042) against him with a single. Considering we're getting a plus-money payout with this play, I absolutely love the bet. Let's lock in NRFI in this spot. 

Bet: No Runs First Inning (+110)

Check out our other best bets for Sunday:

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts

Try Premium for FREE in our mobile app

BettingPros App