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Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes looks to continue dealing and cashing NRFIs–this time against the Kansas City Royals. The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds have the matchup to defy the odds of the Great American Ball Park and cash an NRFI. The Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies are on a YRFI collision course.
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Friday’s MLB action begins at 6:40 p.m. ET, so you have plenty of time to choose your wagers.
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are subject to change. DraftKings does not sponsor this content.
More MLB Predictions:
- Best MLB Home Run Prop Bet Predictions for Friday, Sept. 18
Best NRFI and YRFI Bets Today
Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates NRFI (-125)
RHP Randy Dobnak draws the start for the Royals at 3-4 with a 2.73 ERA. He has been great with a 0.82 ERA in 11 first frames. Skenes is righting a disappointing season with a 2.74 ERA over his last four starts. He’s 10-11 with a 3.78 ERA on the campaign. His first-inning ERA is down to 4.25 with 39 K’s in 29 2/3 IP.
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Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati Reds NRFI (-135)
RHP Clay Holmes has been good for the Cubs at 6-7 with a 2.85 ERA on the season. He does even better work in the first with a 1.69 ERA and a .096 batting average against. Reds RHP Chase Burns is nearing an innings limit and will likely be pulled early. He’s 15-3 with a 2.80 ERA. He’s very hard to hit in the first frame with a 1.61 ERA and 38 K’s in 28 IP.
Seattle Mariners at Colorado Rockies YRFI (-TBD)
M’s RHP Bryan Woo sits at 12-9 with a 3.88 ERA, and this will be his first time pitching at Coors Field. Couple that with a 4.50 ERA in the first, and the prospects for a YRFI rise. RHP Gabriel Hughes goes for the Rockies at 0-8 with a 6.37 ERA. Hitters jump on him early as that ERA elevates to 9.75 in the first inning with a .327 batting average against.
What Do NRFI and YRFI Mean in Baseball?
The term NRFI indicates no runs scored in the first inning. Its opposite, YRFI, indicates yes, there will be a run 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 September 18, 2026 at 4:30 AM.