What is NRFI Betting in Baseball - No Run First Inning Bets Guide

Q: What is NRFI betting?

NRFI betting is wagering on whether there will be runs in the first inning of a baseball match.

Q: How is NRFI betting different from NRSI betting?

NRFI betting is wagering on runs in the first inning whereas NRSI is wagering on whether there will be runs in the second inning.

Q: Is live betting available for NRFI bets?

Yes, but you have to be aware that the odds will shorten the later you place the bet in the first inning. You may be better advised to place an NRSI bet if the first pitch has already been thrown.

Q: Is it worth placing an NRFI bet?

It can be if the odds are good because NRFI bets are simple and have a quick resolution.

Q: Can you bet on other individual innings?

Yes, NRSI bets exist which are concerned with the number of runs in the second inning.

Bram Welch Sports Editor

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Andrew Morgan Fact Checker

Updated 27 Mar 2024

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NRFI is short for No Run First Inning so NRFI betting is wagering on whether or not there will be runs in the first inning of a match. Most often, it will apply to baseball. However, you could place this type of bet on any sport that has innings such as cricket, rounders, or softball.

Find out more about MLB NRFI betting, including tips on which matchups to bet on and what data to look at when placing NRFI bets.

NRFI and YRFI – The Basics

NRFI and YRFI betting both involve betting on whether a run will be scored in the first inning of a baseball match.

NRFI is a wager that there won’t be any runs in the first inning of a baseball match. YSFI is a bet that there will be one or more runs scored in the first inning of the match.

This type of bet has become popular because there can be a short time between placing the bet and finding out the result.

You don’t even need to wait until the end of the match to find out if your bet wins. In fact, you could find out after six quick outs. Otherwise an inning typically lasts around 16-18 minutes. This means you could have your winnings within 20 minutes of the first pitch rather than waiting over three hours for the match to end.

This bet has a binary outcome, there is either a run scored in the first inning or there isn’t. However, the bet is expressed in online sportsbooks in different ways.

You may see it written as:

Will there be a score in the first inning? Yes/No
Run in First Inning – Yes/No
First Inning Run Totals – Over 0.5/Under 0.5

The Advantages of NRFI Betting

NRFI is an attractive bet because it is easy to understand and has a quick turnaround. The outcome is binary, which contributes to this market’s simplicity. Innings in an MLB game are typically less than 20 minutes long so the result of the bet will be known soon after it has been placed. This makes it one of the most popular inning bets for a baseball game.

Another reason is that it can be a reliable bet. Every single team in the 2023 MLB season failed to score a run in the first innings over 60% of the time.

Due to the popularity of Major League Baseball, there is a wealth of data out there. Bettors can use this to inform their NRFI betting. As a fixture approaches, bettors can look at the past first innings record of both the teams involved. This information will be incredibly useful for placing an NRFI or YRFI bet.

How To Bet on NRFI

Placing an NRFI bet is one of the simplest first inning bets in MLB betting. Follow these steps to find out how to place NRFI and YRFI bets. We will use Bovada as an example, but other local or offshore sportsbooks are similar.

Step 1: Choose an Online Betting Site

Find an online sports betting site that suits your needs and navigate to the website. Click the button in the top-right hand corner that reads “Join”.

Step 2: Create a Betting Account

Complete the registration form that appears as an overlay on the page and click “Register” to confirm the details.

Step 3: Verification

Click the silhouette in the top-right hand corner of any page to view your account. There will be a warning sign if you have not verified your account. Click “Verify now”, choose the type of identification you would like to provide, and provide evidence of the ID. You will then have to upload a picture of yourself, which Bovada will assess to verify your identity.

Step 4: Fund Your Account & Enter a Promo Code

Once verified, go to the cashier and make a deposit. Click “Deposit” and choose your preferred method. Make sure you enter any bonus codes that are required and enter an amount, ensuring it meets the threshold for the bonus. Click to confirm.

Step 5: Place the bet

Now navigate to the baseball markets, choose a match, and look for the NRFI market. Click the relevant odds to add that selection to your bet slip.

NRFI Betting and Handicaps

When you start NRFI betting, it can appear that the best method is to look for matchups between great starting pitchers and teams with poor first inning hitting stats. However, these will likely have poor odds and therefore handicap your potential returns.

You should look to overcome this by using recent form and data to help. The best-case scenario is an underrated opening pitcher who is coming up against an explosive lineup of batters that are on a slump. It will require some work but the associated odds boosts could be worth it.

Related content: Handicap Betting Explained

The Pitchers and NRFI Betting

There are a few things that can happen in a baseball match that can really stick a spanner in the works of your NRFI bet. You want to avoid walks, singles, extra base hits, and wild pitches. You can look at the past record of a pitcher to help you avoid these circumstances.

Look for pitchers with a good ‘walks plus hits per inning pitched’ ratio. A low WHIP rate means that the pitcher is good at preventing baserunners. It can be a real kick in the teeth when your NRFI bet fails due to base stealing.

Naturally, pitchers with a good strikeout rate are also a good choice for NRFI bets. A successful NRFI bet will occur when there are six outs in the first inning without a run scored. If the opening pitchers for both teams have a good strikeout rate, it is fair to conclude that they will achieve six outs quickly. Causing strikeouts is also a good way to get out of a sticky situation with baserunners.

Obviously pitchers with a low home run rate are good choices. However, you should also make sure that the rate is not having a huge effect on the betting odds.

Lineups and NRFI Betting

An ideal situation for an NRFI bet is a top-quality batting lineup that is having an uncharacteristic slump. Often some of the biggest hitters are also prone to regular swings and misses.

Let’s take an example. In the 2023 season, Shohei Ohtani had a batting average of .304 with the Los Angeles Angels but a strikeout percentage of .239. He was simultaneously one of the best hitters of the ball but also had a terrible strikeout average, especially for a designated hitter. When he is playing well, he can make good contact and help his team stock up some runs. Conversely, when he is in a slump, he can be a liability for the team.

Another stat to consider is a team’s first-inning runs per game. For example, in 2023, the Atlanta Braves had the best first innings record with 0.88 first-inning runs per game. Meanwhile, the Mets only scored 0.36 runs in the first inning per game.

Ideally, you would look for teams with a rate below 0.5. In 2023, there were 10 teams with a first-inning runs rate below 0.5.

NRFI Betting Tips – The Games To Target

There are certain types of matchups you can target when looking to place a successful NRFI bet. Based on stats from 2023, any matches involving teams in the bottom set of the first-inning runs per game chart could be worth considering.

These are the New York Mets (0.36), Toronto Blue Jays (0.39), Pittsburgh Pirates (0.43), Cleveland Guardians (0.43), San Francisco Giants (0.44), Oakland Athletics (0.44), Miami Marlins (0.44), Chicago White Sox (0.45), New York Yankees (0.46), Detroit Tigers (0.47), and Colorado Rockies (0.49).

However, betting on NRFI markets with these teams involved may have shorter odds because of their documented poor rates. This might be counteracted by the beginning of the 2024 season as the makeup of the squads has changed. Furthermore, players and teams have had time to work on different aspects of their game.

Look at the batter and pitcher matchups too. Look out for when underrated opening pitchers are facing poor batters or batters in a slump. You should also look at how batters fair against pitchers depending on which hand they are are dominant with.

You can also consider that some players do better at certain stadiums.

The weather can also have an effect on how well a pitcher and a batter perform in the first inning. Therefore, this should be noted too before you place your first inning bet.

The Differences Between NRFI and NRSI

NRSI betting is almost identical to NRFI betting. However, instead of wagering on whether there will be runs in the first inning, NRSI is concerned with the second inning. Where F stands for First in NRFI, the S in NRSI stands for Second.

NRSI betting is a good live bet to place after the first inning has finished. Doing this gives you a chance to assess how the batters and pitchers of both teams are performing on the day of the match. This can be valuable information for a sports bettor looking to place wagers as you get an idea of the pitching matchup and what the team scores could potentially be.

Conclusion

NRFI wagering relates to betting on whether or not there will be runs in the first inning of a baseball match. It is a popular bet for its comparatively quick turnaround time and simplicity. NRFI odds are often competitive too, making them amongst the most popular bet types.

There is a lot of data on the first inning so you can make informed wagers. For example, every MLB team scored zero runs in their first innings in over 60% of their matches.

Matchups between highly-rated pitchers and poor batsmen will likely weaken the odds. You will likely get better results by looking for underrated pitchers who are facing great batters that have been struggling of late.

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