MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (5/3)

It’s a loaded Wednesday slate for the MLB with 16 games, including double-header action in Detroit. If your busy spring schedule doesn’t allow you to soak in all baseball has to offer, these first-inning bets are for you.

Here are my favorite wagers from the NRFI market for Wednesday, May 3.

Wednesday’s Best No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Bets

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees – 7:05 p.m. EST

Shane Bieber vs. Clarke Schmidt

Let’s be honest; Clarke Schmidt hasn’t been all that great to start the 2023 season. But I like taking a bit of a contrarian play and betting on the NRFI in today’s matchup.

Schmidt has been better than it appears. Despite having a 6.84 ERA, his xFIP is only 3.99, and he has a low SIERA of 3.65. What does that mean? It means that Schmidt may be getting a bit unlucky and is not as bad as his ERA suggests.

Then we all know how dominant Shane Bieber can be for the Guardians. Without Aaron Judge in the lineup, the top three hitters for the Yankees take a massive step back.

I also like the NRFI in this matchup because both lineups are in a massive slump and are having trouble scoring runs as of late. Cleveland and New York are averaging under 3.9 runs again, putting them in the bottom third of the league.

Pick: NRFI (-140)

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Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics – 9:40 p.m. EST

Logan Gilbert vs. JP Sears

This is another play not based on the starting pitchers as much as it is fading the lineups.

The Athletics have been terrible to begin the season, but Seattle’s offense has also been inconsistent in 2023. Over their last 10 games, they have averaged 2.42 runs per game. With Julio Rodriguez day-to-day, the top half of that lineup struggles without him.

Seattle as a team ranks 29th in BABIP, while Oakland ranks 25th. We also get two teams who strike out a ton. Seattle has the second-highest strikeout rate at 26.6%, while Oakland has the fifth-worst K-rate (25.5%)

Pick: NRFI (-140)

Check out our other best bets for Wednesday:

• MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Predictions
• MLB Same Game Parlay Odds, Picks & Predictions
• NBA Playoffs Player Prop Odds, Picks & Predictions
• NHL Playoffs Best Bets, Picks & Predictions