Caleb Wilfinger
The MLB season continues on Monday, and the 2025 campaign has already produced a lot of exciting action on the diamond. While there are plenty of ways to wager on all of the action this season, one of the quickest bets you can make is if a run will be scored in the first inning — YRFI or NRFI. There is still value to be had in this market, so it’s no wonder that these bets have become very popular over time. If you don’t like sweating out your wagers for 3 hours, this one will take only about 15 minutes.
The NRFI/YRFI market has been profitable for our MLB handicapping team this season, as we’re currently in the midst of a 10-6 run, so let’s keep that momentum going! Here are today’s MLB YRFI/NRFI best bets, and don’t forget to check out our MLB picks for all of today’s games.
YRFI/NRFI best bet: Mets vs Dodgers – YRFI (-120)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -130.
Our MLB best bet in the YRFI/NRFI market takes us to Los Angeles for a matchup between the Mets and Dodgers from Dodger Stadium. This is a battle where both pitchers could be in trouble, considering how both lineups have excelled in recent weeks. With that in mind, I’m anticipating that the bats will have the early edge in this game — which is why I’m targeting the YRFI on Monday.
New York is opting to go with Paul Blackburn to start this game on the mound, and this is a pitcher whose advanced metrics from 2024 (18.7% strikeout rate, 459 xERA, bottom-20 percentile expected batting average) do suggest that regression is coming sooner rather than later. Against a deep and experienced Dodgers lineup, I could certainly see Blackburn struggling in this spot, particularly in the opening frame against the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith.
As for the hosts, the Dodgers have been far from perfect on the mound, both in their starting rotation and bullpen. With a bevy of starters on the injured list, Los Angeles needs Dustin May (4.20 ERA, 4.45 xERA, 44.1% hard-hit rate) more than ever at this point in the season. May has great stuff, but he’s been pretty inconsistent for Dave Roberts’ team, and he’ll also be facing his toughest task yet against a Mets lineup (6th in OPS, 5th in on-base percentage & slugging) that doesn’t make things easy on opposing pitchers. Ultimately, I’ll eat a bit of juice and back the YRFI in this National League matchup.
Find out today’s MLB best bets — our expert is on a 22-11 run!
