# MLB NRFI Picks Today (July 2, 2026): Best No Run First Inning Bets > MLB NRFI picks for July 2, 2026. 9 games scored for first inning scoreless probability, with Chase Burns vs Jacob Misiorowski leading the board. **Date:** 2026-07-02 **Author:** HeatCheck HQ **Tags:** NRFI, MLB, First Inning, Daily Picks, Betting Strategy, No Run First Inning **Full article:** https://heatcheckhq.io/blog/mlb-nrfi-picks-jul-2-2026 **Live picks & dashboards:** https://heatcheckhq.io --- **Today's best MLB NRFI (No Run First Inning) picks for Thursday, July 2, 2026** are CIN @ MIL (Score: 72, 59.5% combined NRFI rate, Chase Burns vs Jacob Misiorowski), STL @ ATL (Score: 71, 69% combined NRFI rate, Dustin May vs Hurston Waldrep), LAA @ SEA (Score: 69, 59.5% combined NRFI rate, Walbert Ureña vs Bryce Miller). Rankings are generated by HeatCheck HQ's eight factor NRFI scoring model, updated daily. # MLB NRFI Picks Today: July 2, 2026 The board runs 9 games deep, with several clean first inning matchups tonight. > [NRFI Dashboard](/mlb/nrfi): live pitcher data, updated as starters confirm. > **Yesterday's NRFI picks:** [MLB NRFI Bets for July 1](/blog/mlb-nrfi-picks-jul-1-2026) ## Tonight's Slate - CIN at MIL (Chase Burns vs Jacob Misiorowski), 2:10 PM - STL at ATL (Dustin May vs Hurston Waldrep), 7:15 PM - LAA at SEA (Walbert Ureña vs Bryce Miller), 9:40 PM - DET at TEX (Framber Valdez vs Nathan Eovaldi), 8:05 PM - SD at LAD (Randy Vásquez vs Roki Sasaki), 10:10 PM - CWS at CLE (Davis Martin vs Slade Cecconi), 6:40 PM - TB at KC (Ian Seymour vs Stephen Kolek), 7:40 PM - MIA at COL (Ryan Gusto vs Michael Lorenzen), 3:10 PM ## Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Brewers *Chase Burns (RHP): 63% NRFI, 2.36 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 11.1 K/9, 2.9 BB/9. Jacob Misiorowski (RHP): 56% NRFI, 1.45 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 13.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, NRFI streak of 2. First pitch 2:10 PM ET at American Family Field, indoor.* Chase Burns can end the first inning without the ball ever leaving the infield, missing bats at a 11.1 K/9 clip, and swing and miss is the cleanest path to a scoreless opening frame. Jacob Misiorowski is the softer side at 56% NRFI, but he only has to be ordinary in the first for this to cash. A 1.08 WHIP tells the same story, very little early traffic for the lineup to work with. The pressure point is the Milwaukee Brewers lineup, which has handled RHP well this year at a .776 OPS in that split, so Chase Burns cannot afford a sloppy first. The lean is NRFI, carried by the stronger arm. ## St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves *Dustin May (RHP): 60% NRFI, 4.30 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8.3 K/9, 2.4 BB/9. Hurston Waldrep (RHP): 78% NRFI, 0.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 13.5 K/9, 18.0 BB/9, NRFI streak of 3. First pitch 7:15 PM ET at Truist Park (1,050 ft).* Hurston Waldrep can end the first inning without the ball ever leaving the infield, missing bats at a 13.5 K/9 clip, and swing and miss is the cleanest path to a scoreless opening frame. Dustin May is the softer side at 60% NRFI, but he only has to be ordinary in the first for this to cash. He arrives on a run of 3 straight scoreless first innings. The pressure point is the St. Louis Cardinals lineup, which has handled RHP well this year at a .774 OPS in that split, so Hurston Waldrep cannot afford a sloppy first. The lean is NRFI, carried by the stronger arm. > **Want the full board?** See all of today's plays on [Top Plays](/top-plays), or go deeper on the [NRFI dashboard](/mlb/nrfi). ## Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners *Walbert Ureña (RHP): 62% NRFI, 3.14 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, NRFI streak of 2. Bryce Miller (RHP): 57% NRFI, 1.97 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 10.8 K/9, 1.0 BB/9. First pitch 9:40 PM ET at T-Mobile Park, indoor.* Walbert Ureña anchors this one at 62% NRFI, and the combined 59.5% rate keeps the game in play as a lean. Bryce Miller is the softer side at 57% NRFI, but he only has to be ordinary in the first for this to cash. The pressure point is the Seattle Mariners lineup, which has handled RHP well this year at a .760 OPS in that split, so Walbert Ureña cannot afford a sloppy first. NRFI is the side, with a touch of caution. ## Honorable Mentions - **Detroit Tigers at Texas Rangers:** Framber Valdez riding a run of 4 scoreless first innings. - **San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers:** Roki Sasaki sitting at 71% NRFI. - **Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians:** a combined 51.5% NRFI rate. ## Games to Avoid These matchups carry the highest first inning scoring risk on tonight's slate. **Tampa Bay Rays at Kansas City Royals.** Ian Seymour has surrendered a run in the first in 3 straight starts, and that trend matters more than the 0% season rate. This is a spot to skip. **Miami Marlins at Colorado Rockies.** Coors does what Coors does. At 5,200 feet the ball carries, and even the better arm here gives back margin in the first. Not a first inning to trust. ## Related Guides - [How to Use the NRFI Dashboard](/blog/how-to-use-nrfi-dashboard) - [MLB Weather Betting Guide](/blog/mlb-weather-betting-guide) - [MLB Stats Explained](/blog/mlb-stats-explained) ## Before You Lock Confirm the starting pitchers on the [NRFI dashboard](/mlb/nrfi). A bullpen game kills NRFI value immediately. Check the weather at first pitch and be careful at altitude, Coors in particular. NRFI bets land 55% to 65% of the time historically, and you need roughly 52.4% to break even at minus 110 odds. For the complete NRFI methodology, including pitcher evaluation, venue factors, and bankroll sizing, see the [NRFI Strategy Guide](/blog/nrfi-betting-strategy-guide). **More from HeatCheck HQ:** - [Live NRFI Dashboard](/mlb/nrfi): real time pitcher data and matchup grades - [Dinger of the Day](/blog/mlb-dinger-of-the-day-jul-2-2026): today's best HR picks - [MLB Streaks](/mlb/streaks): pitchers and hitters on hot streaks - [NRFI Strategy Guide](/blog/nrfi-betting-strategy-guide): full methodology breakdown *Picks update as starters confirm. Full slate at [heatcheckhq.io](https://heatcheckhq.io).* ## Related Resources - Parent hub: [MLB Props Hub](/blog/topic/mlb-props) - Daily stream: [MLB NRFI Picks](/blog/stream/mlb-nrfi-picks) - Author: [HeatCheck HQ](/blog/author/heatcheck-hq) - Browse all posts: [Sports Betting Insights & Guides](/blog) --- *Data powered by HeatCheck HQ — sports analytics platform. Free tools at https://heatcheckhq.io*