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Some monsters can cast Protection From Good and Evil, such as an Orc Hand of Yurtrus. By spell name alone, this seems like it would be useful against a good-aligned party.

The spell description, however, states:

one willing creature you touch is protected against certain types of creatures: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead.

Unless those are just examples of creatures it can protect against, and not a full list, it doesn't sound like the spell offers meaningful protection against, say, a halfling paladin.

Is it just broadly assumed that Protection From Good and Evil will work against PCs, when cast by a monster, or have I missed something?

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You aren't missing anything.

Protection From Good and Evil protects against those specific creatures. While you already cite all relevant rules

Creatures of those types [...] by them

The rest of the spell also uses that specific language.

There are no hidden benefits against alignment. If your PC party doesn't consist of PCs who have those creature types, then the spell doesn't work against them. You can disregard alignment.

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    \$\begingroup\$ It's worth noting that the name doesn't have almost anything to do with the spells actual function at this point, and is just a holdover from previous editions. \$\endgroup\$ – BaconyRevanant Dec 23 '20 at 15:46
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    \$\begingroup\$ That makes sense, despite being kind of a bummer...and a bit of an oversight on the part of Wizards. What's the point of giving this spell to creatures that a party is likely to encounter? Seems like a waste of a spell slot. Anyway, I suppose now I can swap it out for something more useful. :-) \$\endgroup\$ – Forest Dec 23 '20 at 15:53
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Forest Many PCs can summon creatures that would be affected by the spell, but yes, very circumstantial. It could also be in place for lore reasons. PCs are not the only threat in the world to them, in theory. \$\endgroup\$ – Baergren Dec 23 '20 at 15:59
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    \$\begingroup\$ Raises the interesting question that : if the spell is written from the player's race perspective. Would a demon have another definition of the same mechanic if he has "pro Evil and Good" as a spell? Or does he have the same spell named as "pro Planar Beings". (This is pure musings on my part and not at all an argument against the answer.) \$\endgroup\$ – 3C273 Dec 23 '20 at 16:01
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    \$\begingroup\$ Given the ecological role of orcs and portfolio of Yurtrus, the spell would likely be most often used to protect against fey and undead. However, it does bring up the point of whether a monster's abilities ae designed only as a foil to PC's or as naturalistic elements to its independent existence. Are the priests 'quantum ogres' that are only realized when PC's are around, or do they have independent lives within the greater campaign setting? \$\endgroup\$ – Kirt Dec 23 '20 at 17:08

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