NRFI Bets Today: Best First Inning Picks and Predictions for Tuesday, May 19
Everyone is back in action Tuesday as we have a full, 15-game slate. In these matchups, we have a lot of divisional games. This is the point in the season where things start to separate. Pretenders test their mettle and see how they stack up against the contenders.
RHP Dylan Cease and the Toronto Blue Jays take on the New York Yankees and RHP Will Warren, who's off to a 5-1 start. The Milwaukee Brewers face the Chicago Cubs for NL Central supremacy. The Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers round out Tuesday's picks in an AL Central showdown.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
Best NRFI Bets Today
Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees NRFI (-135)
Cease has been awesome in his last three starts this month. He's 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 29 K's in 21 IP. He has been very good in the first inning as well, allowing just two ER in nine first frames. Warren has done the same in the first inning, and he has fanned 14 batters in nine frames. This one shapes up to be a pitchers' duel with a ton of whiffs.
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs NRFI (-145)
This is a matchup of the top two teams in the NL Central. Entering Monday, the Brewers had won eight of 10, and the Cubs have cooled of late. RHP Jacob Misiorowski toes the rubber for Milwaukee, and he's among the league leaders in K's with 80 in 51 IP. He has allowed just two ER in nine first innings of starts. The Cubs throw RHP Ben Brown in his third start of the season after opening the year in the pen. He hasn't allowed an earned run in either start.
Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Tigers NRFI (-140)
Rookie LHP Parker Messick is 5-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 9.7 K/9. He has yet to allow a run in the first, and opposing hitters have a .100 BA against him in the opening frame. Opposing him is RHP Keider Montero, who is 2-3 with a 3.65 ERA on the season. He also has been unscored upon in the first inning with opposing hitters going just 2-for-27 (.074) to open games.
What Does NRFI Mean in Baseball?
The term NRFI indicates no runs scored in the first inning. Its opposite, YRFI, indicates yes, a run will be scored in the first inning. It doesn't matter if the run qualifies as an earned run or not. If a run crosses the plate in the first inning for either team, the wager loses for the NRFI side and wins for the YRFI side.
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 4:30 AM.