Best NRFI Bets Today: 2 No Run First Inning MLB Picks for Thursday 4/23/26

Today's Top NRFI Picks at a Glance

• Brewers at Tigers NRFI
• Dodgers at Giants NRFI

The MLB season is an annual marathon that gives us months of daily betting markets to consider.

While traditional player props like home runs and strikeouts remain popular options, one market that's gained steam is betting whether or not no runs will be scored in the first inning -- aka a No Run First Inning (NRFI) bet.

On FanDuel Sportsbook's MLB odds, we can find NRFI odds listed as 1st Inning 0.5 Runs under the Innings tab for each MLB game.

Please note: lines are subject to change throughout the day after this article is published.

What are the top home run picks for today?

NRFI Betting Picks for Today

NRFI Best Bet #1 — Dodgers at Giants

Tyler Glasnow vs. Logan Webb (3:45 PM ET)

Thursday's afternoon game at Oracle Park presents the cleanest NRFI setup on the entire day's slate. The pitching matchup, the ballpark, and the recent first-inning evidence all point in the same direction.

Tyler Glasnow enters this start with a 3.24 ERA, 2.61 xERA, and 29 strikeouts through four appearances. He has gone at least six innings in every outing and has been dominant in the first inning specifically — his stuff is at its sharpest when facing lineups cold, and his high-spin fastball-curveball combination is notoriously difficult to pick up in a batter's first exposure. Glasnow's career first-inning ERA is consistently below his overall mark, as his velocity plays at its highest before fatigue becomes a factor. The San Francisco Giants' lineup, despite featuring capable bats in Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers, is currently ranked near the bottom of the NL in team OPS and has struggled to score early in games throughout the 2026 season.

On the opposite side, Logan Webb is pitching to a 5.40 ERA through five starts, but his first-inning work is far better than his full-game totals suggest. Webb is a ground-ball-oriented pitcher who uses his sinker to generate early-count contact, and his first-inning efficiency is driven by inducing weak balls in play rather than striking hitters out.

Additional supporting factors:

• Oracle Park's marine layer and cold afternoon air in the first inning create one of the most pitcher-favorable first-inning environments in the league.
• The Dodgers are missing Mookie Betts, and their lineup configuration entering the first inning has been adjusted to accommodate his absence, reducing their first-inning run-scoring probability

NRFI Best Bet #2 — Brewers at Tigers

Brandon Sproat vs. Tarik Skubal (1:10 PM ET)

Tarik Skubal's first-inning dominance is well-documented. The two-time AL Cy Young winner has a career 1.85 ERA in the first inning, driven by his elite four-seam fastball-changeup combination that generates swings well above zone and chase rates that dramatically exceed league average. Against the Milwaukee Brewers' lineup, which features a mix of power bats and contact hitters but limited elite strike-zone discipline, Skubal's first exposure to the top of the order should be his most dominant.

The Milwaukee lineup led by William Contreras, Sal Frelick, and Rhys Hoskins will be seeing Skubal cold. His changeup in particular generates the highest misses percentage of any offspeed pitch in the AL, and first-inning batters facing it without prior experience have historically been the most vulnerable. In his two career starts against the Brewers, Skubal has been dominant across all innings, but his first-inning work has been especially efficient.

Brandon Sproat on the opposite end provides the second leg of the NRFI. The Brewers' starter has allowed eight runs in 9.2 innings through two starts, but his first-inning ERA is disconnected from his full-game performance. Sproat's deep offerings — particularly his slider — play best against a lineup seeing him cold, and the Detroit Tigers' top of the order is solid but not all that potent, sitting right around the league average in first-inning OBP.

Supporting factors:

• Comerica Park is one of the most pitcher-friendly environments in the AL for NRFI outcomes, with deep outfield dimensions suppressing homers and a ballpark factor that depresses run scoring across all innings
• Both pitchers have motivation to start strong: Skubal is working on building a complete performance after a rocky recent outing against Minnesota, and Sproat needs to establish his command early to avoid the long counts that inflated his pitch counts in previous starts as he seeks to lock down a permanent rotation spot

NRFI Betting — Frequently Asked Questions

What does NRFI mean in baseball betting? NRFI stands for No Run First Inning. It's a baseball bet where you wager that neither team will score in the first inning. The opposite bet — at least one run scored in the first inning — is called YRFI (Yes Run First Inning).

How does a NRFI bet work? A NRFI bet is settled when the first inning is completed. If both teams fail to score, your bet wins. If either team scores one or more runs, the bet loses. The final game score has no bearing on the outcome.

What is the difference between NRFI and YRFI? NRFI bets that no runs will score in the first inning, while YRFI bets that at least one run will.

What stats should I look at for NRFI bets? The most important factors are usually each starting pitcher's first-inning ERA, WHIP, and strikeout rate (K%). You should also look at each team's first-inning batting average and on-base percentage as well as individual player stats for the first few batters in the lineup for each team.

Can I parlay NRFI bets? Yes, FanDuel lets you parlay NRFIs across multiple games on the same slate.

Where can you find NRFI betting lines on FanDuel? You can find NRFI odds listed as 1st Inning 0.5 Runs under the Innings tab for each MLB game.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.