4 NRFI Matchups to Watch This Week

Pitching duels, cold bats, and sneaky value plays from July 29 – August 4

Author

Brian McAbee
July 29, 2025

Want to win your bet before the second beer?
No-Run First Inning (NRFI) bets are one of the fastest ways to cash tickets if you know where to look. This week’s MLB slate offers a handful of matchups where elite arms meet slow-starting offenses, and we’ve broken them down.

Table of Contents

🔥 Tuesday – Dodgers @ Reds

Pitchers: Tyler Glasnow vs. Nick Lodolo
Both arms are dealing, both lineups are dangerous… so why lean NRFI? Because Lodolo and Glasnow rank among the best in 1st-inning WHIP and strikeout rates. It’s a power-on-power clash where pitching has the edge — but weather and ballpark factors add risk. Keep this one tight on your card.

❄️ Friday – D-backs @ A’s

Pitchers: Merrill Kelly vs. JP Sears (projected)
Arizona’s top order has been ice cold early, and the A’s have one of the weakest 1-2 hitter combos in baseball. Add in a pitcher-friendly park and two guys who don’t beat themselves? You’ve got a textbook NRFI setup.

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🎯 Saturday – Giants @ Mets

Pitchers: Kodai Senga vs. Carson Seymour
Senga’s forkball is borderline unfair. He’s been lights-out in first innings all year. The Giants counter with a rookie, but he’s been solid in short bursts. If you trust the Mets to start slow again, this has all the ingredients of a value NRFI.

💪 Sunday – Tigers @ Phillies (NRFI Lock of the Week)

Pitchers: Tarik Skubal vs. Zack Wheeler
This one’s pure muscle. Two Cy Young contenders, two dominant first-inning ERAs, and a Detroit offense that rarely scores early. Even with Philly’s pop, Skubal’s splits give him the edge. The juice might be heavy, but the data says: worth it.

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👉 Ready to bet smarter and faster?

We’ve got the stats, the context, and the matchups laid out. Dive into the full blog post to see why these NRFI bets made our list, and how you can build your own cheat sheet using WagerLens tools.

As always, bet responsibly and let’s make some money!

— The WagerLens Team