⚾ Best NRFI Bets Today: MLB No Run First Inning Picks for Friday, June 12

One of the top two National League Cy Young odds favorites, Jacob Misiorowski, toes the rubber in a home start against the Philadelphia Phillies, and that alone signals an automatic play as one of my best NRFI bets today.

My only YRFI wager comes from the Cardinals-Twins interleague series opener, as I’m buying the St. Louis offense after its longest winning streak of the season. But I balance that out with two other NRFI plays among games between NL opponents, one of which is from a heated divisional rivalry.

⚾ Best NRFI bets today: June 12

See all of our experts’ MLB picks based on the latest MLB odds.

Total wagered: 4 units | Max profit: 3.52 units

💰 Best NRFI bet today

Marlins vs. Pirates (6:40 p.m. ET)

• Sandy Alcantara (4.33) vs. Braxton Ashcraft (3.28)
• NRFI records: Marlins (33-36) vs. Pirates (33-36)

There may not be a starting pitcher who flies under the radar more from a NRFI perspective than Braxton Ashcraft. He allowed two earned runs in the first inning of his last start. But prior to that, he didn’t allow a single run in the first inning of any of his first 20 career starts. 

Ashcraft has allowed a .169 OBA and .279 BABIP in 21 career first innings. I also expect Sandy Alcantara to match Ascroft's zero, as he's back to his inning-eating ways with two straight starts of seven innings pitched with a 2.57 ERA.

🔥 More NRFI picks today

Braves vs. Mets (7:10 p.m. ET)

• Spencer Strider (4.00) vs. Nolan McLean (3.98)
• NRFI records: Braves (30-38) vs. Mets (35-33)

Atlanta is without its spark plug and tablesetter, Ronald Acuna Jr., for the foreseeable future, and the team's splits with and without him over the last five seasons up to yesterday are staggering.

With Acuna Jr. over the last five seasons, Atlanta is 296-179 (.623) while averaging 5.3 runs per game and a .262/.331/.455 slash line. Without him over that span, the Braves are 119-122 (.494) and averaging 4.2 runs/game with a .240/.307/.407 slash line.

It should be easier for Spencer Strider to hold New York scoreless in the first inning with Juan Soto mired in a 3-for-30 slump in June prior to yesterday's heroics, and Bo Bichette ranking 151st out of 157 qualified hitters in OPS.

Phillies vs. Brewers (7:40 p.m. ET)

• Andrew Painter (6.21) vs. Jacob Misiorowski (1.50)
• NRFI records: Phillies (33-35) vs. Brewers (31-35)

Misiorowski’s 116 strikeouts are the most in franchise history through a pitcher’s first 13 starts. He has allowed just one earned run in his last 451 1/3 innings, and his 52 pitches of 100-plus mph are the second-most from any player since 2008. In fact, after his last start, his 94 pitches of at least 102 mph this season were more than the amount of such throws from all other hurlers combined (93). 

To cash this wager, Andrew Painter needs to show positive regression from a 6.55 first inning ERA. That has a great chance of starting against the Brewers, considering his .294 BABIP in the first inning trumps Painter's .385 and .368 rates from the second and third inning, respectively.

Cardinals vs. Twins (8:10 p.m. ET)

• Kyle Leahy (4.42) vs. Joe Ryan (3.07)
• YRFI records: Cardinals (36-30) vs. Twins (33-37)

St. Louis was amid a six-game winning streak entering its series finale against the Mets, which was tied for the team's longest this season. That streak was spurred by an offensive explosion that saw the team collectively slash .290/.387/.471 with eight home runs and a 7.0 runs per game average.

Meanwhile, few players in the league hit leadoff home runs with as much consistency as Byron Buxton, with six this year alone. He's already reached the 20-home run plateau in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career, and Buxton leads the top of a batting order that looks to take advantage of Kyle Leahy and his 3.00 first inning ERA, and 1.350 WHIP in four career interleague starts.

🚀 Best NRFI parlay today

This four-leg NRFI parlay maintains great odds and a juicy payout despite Ashcraft's elite first-inning success, and Misiorowski's mind-boggling seven-start stretch. Though some of the league's most elite offenses (Braves and Brewers) are part of my NRFI plays, both teams are opposed by promising young starting pitchers.

💵 My betting record for MLB picks

All MLB picks, including SGPs, have been tracked since March 26.

💡 How I'm betting NRFI picks today (June 12)

Follow all of our MLB analysis and expert predictions for baseball season.

With my some of my NRFI/YRFI plays, I'm expecting regression on various levels from the red-hot offenses in Atlanta and Milwaukee. But for all those trends I'm bucking, I'm also supporting trends. The NRFI is 4-0 in Nolan McLean's last four starts, and it's also cashed in eight straight Misiorowski outings.

❓ NRFI betting FAQ

What does NRFI mean in baseball betting?

NRFI stands for "No Run First Inning." It's a popular MLB bet that neither team will score in the first inning of a game, and the bet settles after just six outs (three per half-inning).

What does YRFI mean?

YRFI stands for "Yes Run First Inning" - the opposite of an NRFI. This MLB prop bet cashes if there's at least one run by either team in the first inning.

What should I look for when betting NRFIs?

Each team's starting pitcher is the biggest factor in cashing a NRFI bet, but you should also focus on each team's NRFI records (home vs. away) and each lineup's first-inning tendencies. Recent form can also play a bigger role than full-season numbers.