NRFI Today: 3 NRFI Picks, Predictions, Best Bets for Thursday, August 13, 2026

Today's Top NRFI Picks at a Glance

• Pirates vs. Marlins NRFI
• Guardians vs. Tigers NRFI
• Rangers vs. Angels 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. You can also check out our MLB player news page to stay up to date with lineup news and injuries.

Check out the top home run picks for today.

NRFI Bets Today: No Run First Inning Picks

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Miami Marlins NRFI (-140)

Probable Pitchers: Braxton Ashcraft vs. Tyler Phillips (1:11 p.m. ET)

Braxton Ashcraft's full-season numbers are pretty darn impressive, especially his 26.6% K rate and 12.6% swinging-strike rate. But it’s his performance early in games makes the Pittsburgh Pirates-Miami Marlins matchup an attractive NRFI target.

Ashcraft is allowing a .216 batting average, .267 OBP and .284 wOBA the first time through the batting order this season. Across those 52 innings, he has posted a 3.29 ERA with 60 strikeouts against only 13 walks.

Miami RHP Tyler Phillips is the shakier half of this bet, although his traditional run prevention has remained respectable. Phillips owns a 3.47 ERA through 93.1 innings, and opponents have hit .245 against him. He has also stranded 80.4% of his baserunners. His 4.60 FIP indicates that his ERA has outperformed his underlying results, but he’s helped by a Pirates offense that next to last in wOBA over the past 30 days (.284).

Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers NRFI (-156)

Probable Pitchers: Parker Messick vs. Keider Montero (1:11 p.m. ET)

Parker Messick has been one of the Cleveland Guardians most dependable starters this season, and his underlying numbers give me confidence backing him to help carry this game to a NRFI.

The left-hander enters Thursday with a 2.57 ERA, 3.18 FIP and 3.43 xFIP across 136.2 innings. He has also struck out 8.96 batters per nine while walking only 2.50. His 0.86 HR/9 is another encouraging number when we're asking him to navigate the top of the Detroit Tigers‘ lineup only once.

Keider Montero doesn't have quite the same strikeout upside, but he has been effective at preventing damage. Through 122.1 innings, Montero owns a 3.38 ERA, allowing 96 hits with only 28 walks.

The combination of Messick's excellent run prevention and Montero's ability to limit baserunners makes this an appealing NRFI wager.

Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels NRFI (-142)

Probable Pitchers: Jacob deGrom vs. Walbert Ureña (10:08 p.m. ET)

This matchup is especially interesting because Jacob deGrom's ERA doesn't tell the full story.

deGrom has a 3.87 ERA, but his under-the-hood numbers look considerably better, including a 3.27 FIP and 3.16 xFIP over 118.2 innings. He has struck out 29.6% of the hitters he has faced while walking only 6.2%, producing an excellent 23.5% K-BB rate. His average four-seam fastball velocity also remains 97.4 MPH.

The other side of this Texas Rangers-Los Angeles Angels SP matchup might actually be the bigger reason to like this wager.

Walbert Ureña has delivered a 2.83 ERA across 101.2 MLB innings this season. He has surrendered only 0.53 home runs per nine innings and generated a 54.0% ground-ball rate. His 3.80 FIP and 4.29 xFIP suggest some regression is possible over the long term, but his ability to keep the ball on the ground and in the park is useful for an NRFI bet.

There is always some volatility with Ureña because of his 4.87 BB/9, but deGrom's strikeout-to-walk profile gives Texas a very strong chance of putting up a zero in the bottom half. Ureña's combination of ground balls and home-run suppression makes him interesting enough to trust for a quick three outs against a Rangers offense that has the eighth-highest K rate (24.6%) over the last 30 days.

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.