Good teams vs. bad teams equals great parlay

Mondays usually mean two things for baseball bettors: few games to watch and even fewer games to bet on. But that's not the case this Monday. While Monday doesn't feature a full slate, it does include 12 games. That's as good as it gets for baseball bettors, even better news for those who like parlays. Why? Because it includes two of the best teams in baseball (the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers) against the two worst teams in baseball (Oakland and Washington). That doesn't happen all that often, but when it does, you have to take advantage. 

MLB parlay: Houston over Oakland and LA Dodgers over Washington (+102 odds via DraftKings)

Houston vs. Oakland: The Astros trail the New York Yankees by just 1.5 games for the best record in baseball after completing the sweep over Seattle on Sunday, and have yet to lose since the All-Star break. Meanwhile, their opponent, the Oakland Athletics, have the worst record in the American League and the second-worst record in all of baseball. So, Houston over Oakland is as good as it gets on the moneyline.

Not to mention, Houston is 6-3 against the A's and getting closer and closer to full strength. All-Stars Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve are back from the injured list, and closer Ryan Pressly returned from the paternity list on Sunday. Plus, Oakland starter Adam Oller is 0-3 with an 8.56 ERA in 10 career appearances. That is not exactly the guy you want starting against a team like the Astros. 

It doesn't matter that Jake Odorizzi, who has had an up-and-down season, is starting for the Astros on Monday. Houston is the significantly better team. Don't think twice about it; take Houston over Oakland.

Washington vs. LA Dodgers: Just like Houston, the Dodgers have yet to lose since the break. Even more impressive, the Dodgers have won eight in a row and each win since the break has been by two or more runs. Take into account Los Angeles has the best record in the National League and Washington has the worst record in all of baseball, and it's a no-brainer to ride LA on the moneyline.

I know Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin got rocked in his last start and in the All-Star Game, but he's still 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA and a dark horse for the NL Cy Young Award. The Dodgers are 9-0 in Gonsolin's last nine starts. It sounds like it's just a matter of time before the Nationals trade superstar Juan Soto, making this one even more appealing for Dodgers bettors. 

In other news ...

Vingegaard holds off Pogacar for Tour de France title —  Jonas Vingegaard beat betting favorite Tadej Pogacar to win the Tour de France on Sunday. Vingegaard was originally a 4-1 favorite behind Pogacar.

Elliott wins Pocono in controversial fashion — Chase Elliott originally finished third at Pocono on Sunday, but Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, both of whom finished ahead of Elliott, were disqualified after their cars failed inspection. Therefore, Elliott, the next finisher, was declared the winner of the M&M's Fan Appreciation 400. Elliott originally entered the race at 8-1 behind betting favorite Busch.

Unvaccinated Goldschmidt, Arenado out for upcoming series vs. Blue Jays — NL MVP betting favorite Paul Goldschmidt and All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado are both out and won't travel to Toronto for the Cardinals' upcoming series against the Blue Jays due to vaccine requirements. St. Louis currently trails the Milwaukee Brewers by just 2.5 games for first in the NL Central and are +155 to win the division.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Jared Shlensky