A pleasant Sunday funday to all the members of Fantasy Alarm out there! After a week and change of giving some units back to the almighty sportsbooks Friday yielded us some cash and if Rafael Devers could managed just a bit more it would have been a perfect betting night, no I'm not still bitter… Either way its a new day in MLB Betting and I am very dialed into this full 15 game slate that kick offs at 12pm ET so don't wait around today, get those wagers in before your Sunday brunch! Today's piece features a team total runs prop, a couple player props and a game total wager for you to consider. As always bet responsibly and also enjoy the MLB All-Star festivities and don't be shy about betting on the Home Run Derby its an awesome event to have some skin in the game. Without further words or cliches here is what I am betting on in the MLB for today July 9th, 2023! 

  • Friday's Record: 2-1
  • Season Record: 39-31-1
  • Bankroll: +1.44 units
 

MLB Best Bets for July 9

Texas Rangers at Washington Nationals

The Rangers may have hit a recent snag in their season losing 3 of the last 7 games but luckily for them they get the Nationals for a matinee rubber match as the series is tied 1-1 thus far. The reason for the recent struggles has been a couple things but the offense has not been one of them as they've scored 51 runs over the past 10 games and they are set up well today too going up against Patrick Corbin who is starting on the mound for Washington. Corbin holds an ERA of 5.13 this season with a 1.59 WHIP but more recently he has allowed 13 earned runs over the last 3 starts and 22 hits over 17 innings pitched. The Rangers don't need a gas can pitcher to be successful but it sure does help the cause. The Rangers are the best offense in baseball this season scoring 5.88 runs per game and their line today across many sportsbooks is 5.5 total runs for the team. Given the matchup and success all season I don't see topping that number being an issue so give me the over here, plus their implied team total is around 6.2 today. Let's tag on a player prop too shall we as the Texas lineup is loaded with talent! Corey Seager will hit second tonight in this powerful lineup and he is in a great spot hitting .355 with 52 RBIs on the season. I have been a fan of the Hits/Runs/RBIs bets all season on this article and today Seager has a line set at 2.5 which is more than fair. He has actually topped this mark in 4 of the last 5 games with an 0-4 dud yesterday the only exception. If he can just get a hit or two I am sure the lineup behind him will take him home at some point so sign me up on this prop!

Pick: Texas Rangers Team Total Over 5.5 Runs (-130 on PointsBet)

Pick: Corey Seager Over 2.5 Hits/Runs/RBIs (-110 on DraftKings)

Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Guardians

Betting on anything to do with the Guardians this season has been tricky as myself and many bettors I know have gotten the raw end of a beat including them. That is a bit different today in my mind though as Shane Bieber takes the mound as he's been rock solid almost all season long. Bieber got rocked on the 4th of July by the Braves but that seems to happen to every pitcher so taking that out he made 5 starts in the month of June where he held down an ERA of 2.90 while allowing just 22 hits over 31 innings of work. He also added 32 strikeouts during that stretch to go just over a K per inning. His line is at 5.5 strikeouts today and that seems a bit low to me given his track record and the fact he is pitching against the Royals. Kansas City is a dreadful team with offensive stats that are in the gutter but they also strikeout 10.04 times per game on the road which is the 4th highest rate in the MLB this season. If Bieber can pitch 5-6 innings like he almost always does this prop should go over without a sweat so give me the over on 5.5 strikeouts for Bieber today. 

Pick: Shane Bieber Over 5.5 Strikeouts (-135 on DraftKings)

Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros

Both the Astros and Mariners rosters contain loads of talent but when injuries and cold streaks start no team is really immune and that has been a big problem for Houston especially as they've managed just 5 total runs in this 4 game series against Seattle so far. Part of the problem is the absence of Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve which makes sense but why to take advantage of that on the books today? The Mariners are in a similar boat offensively although they have still been winning games but 4 of their last 5 games have gone under the total rather comfortably and with the pitching matchup today I see much of the same. Logan Gilbert will get the nod for Seattle and this season he has done well with a 3.82 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. He's been dominant of late too as his last 4 starts have resulted in allowing just 7 earned runs over 27.1 innings of work. I should also mention he is coming off a complete game win over the Giants where he allowed just 5 hits over 105 total pitches. On the other end of the pitching matchup will be Brandon Bielak and he is coming off a strong start in which he went 7 innings and allowed no runs and just 2 hits so he may be trending up as well. Like I said both teams are very good but today I just don't see the runs flowing so give me the under in this game. 

Pick: Seattle Mariners & Houston Astros Under 8.5 Runs (-130 on Bet365)

**all bets are one unit unless specifically mentioned.