Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Predictions for Phillies vs. Tigers, Braves vs. Cardinals, Paul Skenes)

All 30 teams in Major League Baseball are in action on Sunday afternoon, as they look to close out the first half of the campaign on a high note.

The Home Run Derby (Monday) and All-Star Game (Tuesday) are must-watch events, but almost every team won’t return to regular season action until Friday, July 17.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates begin Sunday’s action at 12:15 p.m. EST, and Paul Skenes is on the mound for Pittsburgh as it looks to win its 50th game of the season. Skenes has struggled as of late, and I’m targeting him in the prop market as one of three best bets for the day’s action.

In addition to Skenes, there are two more star pitchers to watch on Sunday, as Zack Wheeler and Tarik Skubal go head-to-head in the series finale between the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers.

Let’s make the most of the final day before the All-Star break with today’s plays!

MLB Best Bets for Sunday, July 12

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Philadelphia Phillies-Detroit Tigers UNDER 7 (-111)
Atlanta Braves Moneyline (+105) vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Paul Skenes UNDER 6.5 Strikeouts (+104)

Philadelphia Phillies-Detroit Tigers UNDER 7 (-111)

Wheeler (2.28 ERA) and Skubal (3.06 ERA) are two of the best pitchers in MLB, and I’m betting on both of them in Sunday’s series finale.

The Tigers and Phillies have both hit the UNDER in 54.9 percent of their games this season, and I expect them to struggle to put up runs with these pitchers on the mound.

Skubal has allowed three or fewer runs in nine of his 12 starts this season, and he’s turned in back-to-back one-run outings after struggling a little – by his standards – after coming off the injured list.

Wheeler has been even better in 2026, allowing two or fewer runs in 11 of his 14 starts after missing the start of the campaign recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome. The Phillies ace has allowed just 59 hits in 87.0 innings of work and has led the team to a 6-1 record since June 1.

I’m going to bet on these starters to keep these offenses in check, especially since Philly has just six runs in this series and the UNDER hit in Game 2 on Saturday.

Atlanta Braves Moneyline (+105) vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The Atlanta Braves have dropped two games in a row and six of their last 10, dropping their lead in the NL East to just two games. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals have rebounded from a rough series against Milwaukee to start the week, taking Game 1 and Game 2 against Atlanta while allowing just two total runs.

Despite that, I like the Braves as road dogs in this series finale.

Atlanta roughed up St. Louis starter Dustin May back on July 2, scoring five runs against him in the first inning. May lasted just 0.2 innings in that start, and he has an ERA of 4.55 in the 2026 campaign.

The Braves are going with a bullpen game that will start with JR Ritchie on the mound, and while the 23-year-old has been shaky at times in 2026, the Atlanta bullpen as a whole is No. 2 in the league in ERA (3.09).

The Braves’ offense has been unable to get going in this series, but I think there’s value in taking them against May, who has a 13.50 ERA over his last three starts.

Paul Skenes UNDER 6.5 Strikeouts (+104)

Skenes has been one of the best pitchers in MLB this season, but he’s struggled a bit as of late, allowing six or more hits in three straight starts. His ERA has gone from 2.86 to 3.58 during this three-start stretch, and he’s failed to clear 6.5 strikeouts in both of his outings in July.

The former top pick still ranks in the 91st percentile in strikeout percentage, but he’s in just the 69th percentile in whiff percentage. On top of that, Skenes is facing a Milwaukee team that strikes out just 8.17 times per game – 12th in MLB.

Skenes had seven K’s against the Brewers in a start earlier this season, but he went seven innings and allowed just one hit in that outing.

Since his start on May 17, Skenes has not pitched more than six innings in a single game (10 starts). If he isn’t able to work deep into Sunday’s matchup, I think this K total is a little lofty given his recent form.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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