MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Thursday, July 9, inc. Brewers vs Cardinals

The 2026 Major League Baseball season keeps rolling along with another loaded slate of games on Thursday, July 9. The 13-game card includes a couple of fascinating matchups, including a showdown between the Brewers and Cardinals at 7:45 pm ET. The action gets underway at 12:35 pm ET with a matchup between the Braves and Pirates as they wrap up their series. Let's break down my MLB best bets for Thursday, July 9, while you can also find out our expert MLB picks for EVERY GAME today and throughout the entire 2026 campaign!

MLB best bet: Milwaukee Brewers ML over St. Louis Cardinals (-128)

Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -135.

After a slow start to the season, the Brewers have been one of the best teams in baseball over the last couple of months. Milwaukee is currently in first place in the NL Central and its strong run of form should continue against its hated rivals on Thursday, especially since the Brewers are going up against Andre Pallante (bottom 1% average exit velocity, bottom 15% strikeout rate). The Cardinals' bullpen shouldn't fare much better, as St. Louis is ranked 21st with a 4.34 ERA. On the other side, the Brewers will counter with Logan Henderson, who holds a 2.74 ERA, 29.6% hard-hit rate and 33.3 strikeout rate on the season. Milwaukee also boasts one of the best bullpens in baseball, which bodes well for this matchup. Ultimately, I'll back the Brewers as short road favorites.

Get our full Brewers vs Cardinals prediction

MLB best bet: Philadelphia Phillies vs Cincinnati Reds under 9.5 (-110)

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

The Phillies have bounced back in a major way following a very poor first month of the season, and it all starts with how Philadelphia has delivered on the mound. Jesus Luzardo is coming off a terrific 2025 season, and while his counting stats aren't great to this point in the campaign, his expected numbers suggest that he's due for some positive regression. It just so happens that a matchup against a struggling Reds lineup (ranked 23rd in slugging and OPS) is the perfect tonic for Luzardo to turn in a rock-solid performance. As for the hosts, Brady Singer hasn't exactly been the model of consistency in 2026, but the Reds starter is facing a Phillies lineup that has struggled mightily away from home this season. With that in mind, I'll target the under in this one.

Read our full Phillies vs Reds predictions for today's matchup