Sunday will mark the final day of the first half of the regular season, and while the 2026 All-Star break is right around the corner, there's plenty of baseball to watch and enjoy.
Here are my three best bets for Sunday, July 12, in the 2026 MLB regular season.
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Best MLB Bets Today
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Under 7 runs, -118 @ FanDuel
This is going to be an epic battle between two of the best pitchers not only in the National League but in all of baseball when Jacob Misiorowski and Paul Skenes go head-to-head in this NL Central matchup. Misiorowski owns impressive numbers with a 1.62 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 2.09 FIP across 18 starts and 111.0 innings, and he's also pacing the majors in strikeouts with an eye-popping 167 -- good for an elite 13.5 K/9. Skenes hasn't been nearly as good, but it's hard to doubt him. He owns a 3.58 ERA in 19 starts and 103 innings, but it's worth noting that he's posted a 4.78 ERA in seven outings since the beginning of June.
The Brewers are one of the best teams in the majors and look like the only realistic NL candidate to dethrone the Dodgers. The Pirates are not quite there yet, but their offense has been much better than expected. However, the edge in the pitching matchup is just too big for both teams. Go with the under here, as we're prioritizing the advantage on the mound for both teams above anything else.
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Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Rays to win, -136 @ DraftKings
The Mariners will be playing on the road against the Rays but will have to rely solely on their pitching to get the win -- and even that looks complicated. Sure, the Mariners will send Emerson Hancock to the mound, but the Rays will counter with Ian Seymour. Hancock has been excellent for the Mariners of late, posting a 3.24 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over his last nine starts despite two outings in which he allowed 11 earned runs over 9.1 combined innings between June 14 and June 20. He tossed seven scoreless innings against the Blue Jays the last time out, and he should give Seattle a decent chance at a win.
However, the Rays will send Seymour, who has a 4.11 ERA, to the mound -- he's coming off a 12-strikeout performance against the Yankees on July 7. That's not a fluke. Since transitioning to the rotation, the southpaw owns a 2.97 ERA over six games (four starts and two bulk relief appearances) while logging at least five innings in four straight outings.
The Rays will have the edge on offense, with star slugger Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz seeing the ball well of late. On the flip side, the Mariners will be without star outfielder Julio Rodriguez (concussion), Cal Raleigh has been slumping of late (.171 with a .564 OPS since the beginning of July) and Josh Naylor can't do all the heavy lifting on his own. Back the Rays to win at home.
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Chicago White Sox vs. The Athletics: Over 8.5 runs, -118 @ BetMGM
The White Sox have been one of the most exciting offenses in the majors this season, led by the stellar play of names such as Munetaka Murakami, Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas, just to name a few. Tristan Peters has been on a roll as well after hitting for the cycle Friday, and they'll also have Noah Schultz on the mound. The 22-year-old southpaw is far from a reliable arm and owns a 6.00 ERA this season, but he's also allowed seven runs over 9.1 innings with a 10:7 K:BB since returning from the injured list.
The Athletics will counter with J.T. Ginn, who owns a 3.10 ERA and 86:43 K:BB over 98.2 innings across 17 starts and three relief appearances this season. However, it remains to be seen how long he'll last, as he's been battling an illness all week. The A's have a potent offense even without Nick Kurtz (thumb) and Zack Gelof (knee). Their bats should be able to inflict damage early and often, especially at home since Sutter Health Park is one of the most pitcher-friendly venues in the majors. Back the over here, as neither pitcher has been particularly dominant and both offenses look capable of getting things going with ease.
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MLB Picks Recap
- Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Under 7 runs, -118 @ FanDuel
- Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Rays to win, -136 @ DraftKings
- Chicago White Sox vs. The Athletics: Over 8.5 runs, -118 @ BetMGM
