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, 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 EVERY GAME today.
YRFI/NRFI best bet: Mariners vs Twins – NRFI (-105)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -120.
With a limited slate of MLB games on Monday, our only best bet in the YRFI/NRFI market takes us to Minnesota for a matchup between the Mariners and Twins from Target Field. This is a battle where both pitchers should be in position for early success, especially when factoring in the success that both have had against the opposing lineups in the past. With that in mind, I’m anticipating that the arms will have the early edge in this game, which is why I’m targeting the NRFI on Monday.
The Mariners have one of the best pitching staffs in the game, and one starter that I’m particularly high on is Bryan Woo, who will get the ball in this series opener. Woo has been absolutely rolling of late, as he’s coming off 7 shutout innings against the Red Sox last week. The right-hander holds a 3.12 ERA on the season, to go along with one of the best walk rates in the game and does a good job of consistently limiting hard contact. That should translate into Monday’s outing against an inconsistent Twins lineup that he’s seen success against in the past.
On the other side, Bailey Ober has been in the midst of a mediocre stretch in recent weeks, but his expected metrics do suggest that he’s due for a bit of regression in his upcoming starts. However, Ober doesn’t walk hitters, gets plenty of whiffs and has great career numbers against the likes of Cal Raleigh and the rest of the top of the Mariners lineup. All things considered, let’s back the NRFI in Minnesota on Monday.
