Best No Run First Inning (NRFI) Bets Today: Oct. 16
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Jason Radowitz
- October 31, 2025
We’ve got two more MLB playoff games on the schedule today! The night will begin with a matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS. That game will be followed by the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners for Game 4 of the ALCS.
The Dodgers currently lead the Brewers 2-0 in the NLCS and will have two home games up next. Meanwhile, the Mariners won their first two games on the road, but the Blue Jays earned Game 3 to cut the series deficit in half.
That said, we’ll be looking at the NRFI odds and discussing the best NRFIs between the two games.
Best NRFI Bets Today
- 2025 MLB Picks Record: 3-2 = +.5 units
The Milwaukee Brewers haven’t announced a starter for Game 3 of the NLCS. That’ll make it hard to assess the first inning for the NLCS Game 3. That said, Tyler Glasnow will start for the Dodgers, and he’s got a 0.00 ERA in the postseason through two games. With Shohei Ohtani struggling at the top of the Los Angeles lineup, the NRFI might still be a good idea for the NLCS Game 3.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are turning to Max Scherzer for Game 4 in the ALCS. This will be the veteran’s first appearance in the postseason this year. He’ll go up against Luis Castillo, who has a 0.00 ERA in two games in the postseason this year.
That said, Max Scherzer was very inconsistent to begin the year and finished the season with a .236 ISO and a wOBA of .351 allowed. We won’t want to sweat it out with Scherzer in the first inning.
It’s a Two-Game Slate In The Postseason!
We won’t have too many more two-game slates in the MLB postseason. So let’s enjoy it while we can.
I’m adding an NRFI bet in both matchups and will discuss why below. Make sure to tail these bets as soon as you can at the top sportsbooks so you don’t miss the best value on the board.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers NRFI (-135) at Bovada
We know Tyler Glasnow will get the start for the Dodgers. The righty has allowed a .034 ISO and wOBA of .270 over the last month. He’s also induced more than 60% of ground balls and has struck out 29.4% of batters over that same span.
Glasnow has also added 32.4% of whiffs and has given up a barrel percenatge of just 2.6% over the last 30 days. That’s almost unheard of.
He’ll likely face Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras at the top of the order. Those three haven’t hit righties very well over the last month.
Chourio has hit a .264 wOBA and has earned only 6.6% of walks over the last 30 days against righties. Meanwhile, Turang has added a .114 ISO and has struck out 37.3% of the time against righties in the last month. Finally, Contreras has delivered a .054 ISO and wOBA of .238 against righties in the last 30 days.
On the other hand, we don’t know exactly who will start for the Brewers. Manager Pat Murphy has the entire bullpen available to use, except for Freddy Peralta. With all hands on deck, I’m sure the Brewers will make a good decision to keep the game within distance and get a 0 on the board in the first inning. We’ll ride with Murphy’s decision and take the NRFI for this one.
What is an NRFI?
The NRFI means “No Runs First Inning.” You’re betting on the fact that there will be no runs in the top and bottom portions of the first inning.
Best NRFI Betting Tips
- Look for discrepancies in each head-to-head matchup at the top of the order.
- Try to find hitters who have struggled in multiple areas, who will bat in the first inning.
- Hitters with high strikeouts and low wOBA or ISO numbers are who you want to pick on.
- Also, look for pitchers who have excelled over the last month. Those guys typically pitch well early in the game, which allows them to go deeper and put up good numbers.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
