MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Saturday, September 19, inc. Royals vs Pirates

We have a loaded slate of MLB action on Saturday, September 19, and there are numerous intriguing spots worth looking at from a betting perspective. I had to trim down my list of bets this morning but have selected my three favorites for this article.

Let's dive in and discuss!

MLB Best Bet: Noah Cameron (KC) Under 2.5 earned runs allowed (-150)

Odds available at Caesars sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -165 odds.

Noah Cameron has had a solid season for the Kansas City Royals in 2026. On Saturday evening the left-hander draws another favorable matchup as Kansas City is set to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. Friday’s game was high scoring on both sides, but I am less fond of the offenses in Saturday’s contest, especially Pittsburgh’s.

Cameron enters play with a 3.84 ERA and 3.93 xERA through his first 166.1 innings pitched. The southpaw hurler held a 5.27 ERA through July 19th before rattling off several strong starts in a row. He has made 10 starts since that date, allowing two or fewer earned runs in eight of those outings. In five of those starts he held his opponent completely scoreless. He limits walks well and is capable of generating whiffs which tends to play up against this Pirates unit. Pittsburgh has been worse against lefty pitching all season long. In the last 30 days they have the sixth-highest K% and a wRC+ of 94. Look for Cameron to continue his strong pitching and remain under 2.5 earned runs allowed in this contest.

MLB Best Bet: Bubba Chandler (PIT) Over 1.5 walks allowed (-107)

Odds available at DraftKings sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -125 odds.

Bubba Chandler is a pitcher I am very fond of moving forward as the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to build for the future. He figures to play a very large role in their 2027 starting rotation and there were certainly aspects of his game capable of building off this year. Command of the strike zone is not an attribute of his game I am fond of, and in Saturday’s game against the Royals I am looking to pick on his shaky command. Chandler enters Saturday with an 11.8% walk rate on the season. That rate ranks 13th percentile among all MLB pitchers in 2026. 

Part of his issue is a below-average first pitch strike rate, but he also can get wild in the middle of an at-bat as well. In his 29 outings this season Chandler has allowed at least two walks 22 times. This includes 13 outings with three or more free passes issued. Within his three starts so far this month he has allowed three and four walks in two of them, and now he faces a Royals lineup showing solid plate discipline. In the last 30 days against right-handed pitching Kansas City has the 10th highest walk rate and third-lowest strikeout rate. Chandler could pitch well and still allow two walks, and at current pricing I am a fan of this play.

MLB Best Bet: Cam Schlittler (NYY) over 5.5 strikeouts recorded (-159)

Odds available at Caesars sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -175 odds.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are not often a team that bettors pick on in the strikeout department, but value is what I am searching for. Saturday presents us with a chance to pick on the Diamondbacks plate discipline as Cam Schlittler is set to face this Arizona lineup. Schlittler essentially cemented his Cy Young Award last night with Dylan Cease faltering, and I look for the Yankees’ ace to deliver another strong outing for his club. 

Entering Saturday, the right-hander holds a 1.95 ERA through his first 184.2 innings of work. Schlittler is a strikeout machine, ranking 95th percentile in MLB with his 31.6% K%. He generates chases on pitches outside the zone at an 84th percentile clip while drawing whiffs at a 78th percentile mark. He fills the zone relentlessly as well, consistently jumping ahead in counts and putting pressure on the batters. 

Arizona ranks 19th in K% against right-handed pitching in the last 30 days at 20.5%. While not an extremely high mark by any means, Schlittler should be able to take advantage of the holes in this lineup and find a sixth strikeout. He has recorded at least eight Ks in each of his last four starts and six or more Ks in 12 of his last 13 games pitched.