Top MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Odds for Pirates vs. Rays (6/24)

Jun 24, 2022 - 7:59 PM

Let’s take a look at some No Runs First Inning prop bet odds and picks for today’s game: Pirates vs. Rays.

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Top MLB No Runs First Inning (NRFI) Picks & Odds: Pirates vs. Rays

It’s the battle of small-market teams! Both of these teams rank in the bottom-six in payroll and, regardless of their competitive stage, will generally stay around that range. Personally, that makes these two organizations very fascinating to monitor. How can they compensate for their lack of spending power?

From all accounts, this is most likely shaping up to be a low-scoring affair. Based on weighted-runs-created-plus (wRC+), these are two bottom-ten offenses. While those problems have only been exacerbated over the past 30 days, they each rank in the bottom-six in wRC+ during that span. Tampa’s offense is in a tough spot without Brandon Lowe, Wander Franco, Manuel Margot, and Kevin Kiermaier, while Pittsburgh could easily be without third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes after he injured his shoulder scoring the game-winning run on Thursday.

Plus, there is some intrigue to be had with this pitching matchup. Rays starter Jeffrey Springs has been excellent (20.2% K-BB) since moving into the rotation, and the underlying numbers back it up; his 101 stuff+ and 106 pitching+, per Eno Sarris’ predictive model, are both notably above-average marks. Any pitcher with the ability to induce whiffs and limit walks should have your attention, and against one of the least-productive lineups, he should continue to thrive.

The “risky” aspect of this NRFI likely comes from the bottom of the first inning, as Mitch Keller has had his fair share of struggles in the past. At the same time, since incorporating a sinker into his arsenal on May 25th, he has been able to induce a ground ball more than half of the time, while Tampa Bay’s top-of-the-lineup has been decimated from injuries. Then, factor in that Tropicana Field is tied for being the third-most pitcher-friendly ballpark, and all signs point to no runs being scored here. Hence, why taking the NRFI makes a lot of sense!

Bet: Pirates at Rays NRFI (-125 on FanDuel)

Best Player Prop Bet Rankings for Pirates vs. Rays

What are Player Props?
Player props refer to wagers that bettors can make based on player performance in a specific game. The majority of player props are built around the most common statistical benchmarks for a specific sport such as yards and touchdowns in football. Most player props are straight over/under plays that open at or near -110 and are adjusted based on where the money lands.

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