Ricky Dimon
The week in Major League Baseball begins with a full 15-game schedule, somewhat unusual for a Monday. But we certainly aren’t complaining, as betting opportunities abound. It’s a lineup that includes Rays vs Yankees, Dodgers vs Reds, Cubs vs Brewers and Mets vs Padres. The YRFI/NRFI market is extremely popular in baseball betting. After all, you don’t have to sit around for 3 hours to see if your wager hits; the satisfaction (or in some cases disappointment) is immediate. It all comes down to the first inning. I have been in fine form so far this season, with a 52–40-2 record on best bets while going 4-for-10 on Same Game Parlays at +481, +632, +439 and +600 odds. Let’s continue that with my YRFI/NRFI best bets for Monday, July 28, while you can also find out our MLB picks for EVERY GAME today.
YRFI/NRFI best bet: Blue Jays vs Orioles: YRFI (-120)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
The Blue Jays are 8-2 since the all-star break and have scored at least 6 runs in 4 of their last 5 games. Not once in this entire second half have they crossed the plate fewer than 4 times. Their bats are simply on fire, and that should not change against Zach Eflin. The Orioles’ right-hander is saddled with a 5.78 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 7-for-21 lifetime against Eflin with 2 home runs and a double. In his most recent outing prior to the break, the Rays torched Eflin for 4 first-inning runs.
This is also a favorable matchup for Gunnar Henderson, who hits in the 3-hole for the Orioles. He is 4-for-10 lifetime with 2 home runs against Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt. Although Bassitt has been decent this year, he has allowed 13 hits in his last 13.2 innings of work. I think both clubs have a good chance at scoring right away on Monday, giving this good value as our first YRFI/NRFI best bet.
Start the new week with our MLB parlay picks for Monday night at +581 odds
YRFI/NRFI best bet: Nationals vs Astros: NRFI (-128)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
If you are backing the Nationals and/or the NRFI on Monday, you can thank God that Brad Lord is on the mound. The right-hander is sporting a 3.39 ERA this season and he has been outstanding across his last 3 appearances, allowing just 1 run in 7.1 innings. Lord has made 7 starts in 2025 and he has given up a grand total of 1 first-inning run in those 7. The Astros are countering with Framber Valdez, who needs no introduction. Valdez is 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. The southpaw has surrendered just 1 earned run in 13.0 innings across his last 2 starts.
Neither lineup specializes in early production. Washington ranks 16th league-wide by scoring a run in the opening frame 27.9 percent of the time, but that drops to 23.1 in road games. Houston is 2nd-last in all of MLB at 21.9 percent. All things considered, a quick inning can be expected here, making it our 2nd YRFI/NRFI best bet for today.
Read our full expert Nationals vs Astros prediction
