MLB Picks Today: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for Thursday, September 24, inc. Padres vs Dodgers
While Thursday Night Football will dominate the sports landscape on Thursday, we do have a loaded 12-game MLB slate in store as the season enters its final few days. The full card features some intriguing matchups, including a game on FS1 between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at 7:30 PM ET, while the Dodgers host the Padres at 10:10 PM ET on MLB Networkd. In addition, we also have Brewers vs Phillies, Guardians vs Red Sox and Mets vs Rangers on the docket.
Let's break down my MLB best bets for today, while you can also find out our expert MLB picks for EVERY GAME today and throughout the final days of the 2026 campaign.
MLB Best Bet: San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers Over 7.5 (-110)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -120.
These teams know each other so well, and we've seen a split through the first two games in this series. On Tuesday, the Dodgers dominated behind their starting pitching, while the Padres got to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Los Angeles bullpen on Wednesday in their victory to even things up. I'm expecting both offenses to put it together at the same time in the rubber match against a pair of pitchers that are dealing with challenging matchups. Tyler Glasnow (3.46 ERA, 2.94 xERA) is having a rock solid age 32 season, but lanky right-hander has allowed at least four runs in two of his last three outings and he's facing a Padres offense that has been red-hot since the All-Star break. On the other side, San Diego starter Nick Pivetta has allowed 10 hits and six earned runs over his last two outings against the Dodgers. With that in mind, both offenses should do enough to push this one over this relatively modest total.
Check out our full Dodgers vs Reds prediction for today's MLB game
MLB Best Bet: Pittsburgh Pirates team total over 3.5 vs St. Louis Cardinals (-110)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing. Playable to -120.
This NL Central showdown is virtually meaningless to all parties involved, but I'm bullish on the Pirates lineup to get back on track in what should be a favorable matchup against Cardinals right-hander Kyle Leahy (4.89 xERA, bottom 1% hard-hit rate, .272 xBA). Leahy hasn't picked up a victory in over a month, and this is a tough spot for the fourth-year starter against a Pirates lineup that has much better splits against righties compared to lefties this season. Pittsburgh has averaged four runs per game over the previous 10 contests, which makes this line pretty attractive at the current number. Clear skies are expected on Friday and not much wind is in the forecast, so all signs point to a successful day for the Pirates offense in this one.
Grab our expert's Cardinals vs Pirates prediction for this MLB matchup
