MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Sunday, July 12, inc. Yankees vs Nationals

The 2026 Major League Baseball season keeps rolling along with another loaded slate of games on Sunday, July 12. The 15-game card includes a number of intriguing matchups, including Sunday Night Baseball featuring the Diamondbacks vs Dodgers at 4:10 pm ET. The action gets underway at 12:15 pm ET with a matchup between the Brewers and Pirates as they conclude their series. Let's break down my MLB best bets for Sunday, July 12, while you can also find out our expert MLB picks for EVERY GAME today and throughout the entire 2026 campaign!

MLB best bet: New York Yankees vs Washington Nationals over 9 (-112)

Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -120.

After struggling for the last couple of weeks, the Yankees have bounced back with 3 consecutive victories, including a pair of wins against Washington to clinch this series heading into the finale on Sunday. The Nationals have managed to hang tough against the American League favorites, but Washington's fatal flaw is its awful bullpen — a unit that has already blown 27 saves this season, which puts them just 10 short of the all-time record. For all of their struggles of late, New York is still a top-5 offense when it comes to slugging and OPS. Washington is in a similar ballpark, with the Nationals ranked 2nd in team SLG and 3rd in OPS. Given that the Yankees will send out Will Warren (4.25 xERA) and Washington will counter with Cade Cavalli (4.13 xERA), runs should be expected in the nation's capital on Sunday.

Get our full Yankees vs Nationals prediction

MLB best bet: Boston Red Sox ML over New York Mets (-120)

Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -125.

An interleague matchup highlights the afternoon slate on Sunday, and it features a red-hot Red Sox side against a Mets team that is limping into the All-Star break. Winners of 8 consecutive games, Boston is getting a combination of strong starting pitching and timely hitting, and both of those things are pretty easy to come by against the Mets. After all, New York starter Zach Thornton holds an ERA of 4.36 but his expected ERA sits at 5.45, to go along with a whopping 51.7% hard-hit rate and .282 expected batting average. On the other side, Payton Tolle (3.07 xERA) is getting the ball for Boston, and the young starter should succeed against a Mets lineup that has tallied just 2 runs in as many games in this series. With that in mind, I'll target the Red Sox to keep on rolling on Sunday.

Read our full Red Sox vs Mets predictions for today's matchup