Top 4 MLB Picks & Predictions: Wednesday (9/9)
The 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) schedule has another loaded slate, with 15 games. There are five afternoon games with a first pitch of 4:10 p.m. ET or earlier. We’ll focus on the 10 evening games. The only nationally-televised game is the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves meeting on MLB Network at 7:15 p.m. ET. Let’s build our bankroll with our best MLB picks & predictions for Wednesday, September 9th.
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Wednesday’s Best MLB Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
Houston Astros (+134) at Philadelphia Phillies (-158) | O/U 8.5 (+108/-132)
The Astros (74-71) and the Phillies (81-64) meet at Citizens Bank Park in the middle contest of a three-game interleague series. Houston edged Philadelphia 6-5 as slight underdogs (+112) on Tuesday night while the Over (8.5) cashed, halting an 8-0-1 run to the Under dating back to April 28, 2023 in this series. Houston has won five consecutive meetings, too.
Houston turns to RHP Hunter Brown (5-3, 3.31 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) to try and clinch the series win. Last season against the Phillies, Brown allowed just three hits with no walks in seven scoreless innings while striking out nine batters in a 2-1 win at Daikin Park on June 26, 2025.
The Phillies turn to All-Star LHP Cristopher Sanchez (16-5, 2.58 ERA, 1.20 WHIP), and he is looking to rebound from a rare loss. Sanchez allowed three runs and five hits with three walks in six innings a 5-2 loss against the Atlanta Braves last time out, his first setback since July 6, a span of 10 starts.
The Astros are just 16-20 against left-handed starting pitching, while going 20-23 in interleague play despite Tuesday’s victory. The Phillies, four games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East with 17 regular-season games to play, have managed a 24-19 record in interleague play.
Let’s go with the Phillies lightly, perhaps in a pitchers' duel. As such, we’ll also be going low on the total, too.
Picks: Phillies Moneyline (-158) & Under 8.5 Runs (-132)
Arizona Diamondbacks (-112) at Kansas City Royals (-104) | O/U 8.5 (-122/+100)
The Diamondbacks (78-68) and the Royals (64-82) link up again at Kauffman Stadium for the interleague series finale at 6:40 p.m. ET.
Arizona has won both meetings, albeit in very close games. In the series opener Monday, the Diamondbacks won 5-4 as slight underdogs (-107) as the Under (9.5) cashed, while Arizona edged Kansas City 5-3 as slight ‘dogs (-106) as the Under (9) connected.
The Diamondbacks slid into the final Wild Card spot in the NL with Tuesday’s victory, moving a half-game ahead of the San Diego Padres with 16 games left to go. Arizona is now 37-37 on the road, while it has a plus-2 run differential on the season. It’s also 21-20 in interleague play. The Diamondbacks will face LHP Daniel Lynch IV, and Arizona has a sparkling 26-12 mark against lefties.
Lynch (4-5, 3.51 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) makes his seventh start and 53rd appearance of the season. However, he is 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA across his last six starts and seven appearances. The Diamondbacks counter with RHP Zac Gallen (3-9, 6.34 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) in his first 19 starts this season across 98 IP. He is horrific lately, going 0-5 with a 8.15 ERA and 1.71 WHIP across seven starts and 38.2 IP, striking out just 19 batters. If the Diamondbacks miss the playoffs, it’s not all Gallen’s fault, but he certainly hasn’t helped down the stretch, either.
We’re going to side with Kansas City, as Lynch has just been a little easier to trust. We’ll go with the Over, too, as Gallen has been giving, and the Snakes should get some offense going against Lynch, too, since they handle lefties so well.
Picks: Royals Moneyline (-104) & Over 8.5 Runs (-122)
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