Walk-Off Wagers: MLB Best Bets Today (Predictions for Yankees vs. Rays, Seattle’s Bryce Miller and More)

Thursday’s MLB action is filled with early-afternoon games, as six teams will take the field prior to 3 p.m. EST.

So, bettors can wager on MLB throughout the entire day, and I have a pair of plays to consider for the matinee matchups. One of those bets is for the series finale between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, as New York continues to slide in the AL East standings with Aaron Judge sidelined.

Does that continue against Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen?

Plus, there is a player prop that I love later in the day with the Seattle Mariners taking on the Miami Marlins.

Let’s dive right into the odds and analysis behind all of these bets for Thursday, July 9.

MLB Best Bets for Thursday, July 9

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline (-163) vs. New York Yankees
Atlanta Braves-Pittsburgh Pirates OVER 9.5 (-106)
Bryce Miller OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-151)

Tampa Bay Rays Moneyline (-163) vs. New York Yankees

The Yankees have yet to announce a starting pitcher for Thursday’s matchup, and that’s not a great sign for a team that is just 5-15 in its last 20 games and now five games back of Tampa Bay in the American League.

New York won the series opener against Tampa Bay 5-1, but it has scored just four runs in two games since, dropping to just five games over .500 on the road.

Drew Rasmussen is on the mound for Tampa Bay, and he’s dominated New York this season, tossing 13.0 innings of scoreless ball in two starts. The Rays’ right-hander has 2.78 ERA in 2026, and he’s allowed three or fewer earned runs in 14 of his 17 starts.

New York’s offense is dead last in runs scored, batting average and OPS over the last 10 days while the Rays are in the top-10 in the league in all three of those categories. I think Tampa Bay will cruise to a win with Rasmussen on the hill.

Atlanta Braves-Pittsburgh Pirates OVER 9.5 (-106)

Two struggling starters are set to face off in Thursday’s series finale between the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates, as Bryce Elder gets the ball for Atlanta against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller.

After a strong start to the season, Elder had a brutal month of June, posting a 8.10 ERA in five starts, allowing 35 hits in just 26.2 innings of work. He’s given up five or more runs in four of his last six outings, making him a tough pitcher to bet on against a Pittsburgh offense that is No. 3 in the league in Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+).

Meanwhile, Keller has been awful in the 2026 season, ranking in the 12th percentile in expected ERA and the third percentile in expected batting average against. The Pirates right-hander has an actual ERA of 5.02 this season, and he’s been awful since late May, posting a 7.50 ERA over his last five starts.

Now, Atlanta is just 19th in MLB in wRC+, but it’s scored the eighth-most runs in MLB.

I think this pitching matchup is the perfect recipe for an OVER, especially since these teams already combined for double-digit runs earlier in this series.

Bryce Miller OVER 5.5 Strikeouts (-151)

Seattle Mariners starter Bryce Miller has put together a strong 2026 season, posting a 1.71 ERA across nine outings.

He shut down the Los Angeles Angels in his last appearance, allowing no runs, two hits and striking out eight across seven innings of work.

Miller now has six or more K’s in six straight starts and seven of his nine appearances in 2026. So, why not take him to clear this line again on Thursday?

Miller is facing a Miami Marlins team that is ninth in MLB in strikeouts per game, but I think this line is way too low for the Mariners right-hander. In 2026, Miller ranks in the 98th percentile in chase percentage, the 78th percentile in whiff percentage and the 96th percentile in strikeout percentage.

He’s also worked into the sixth inning in five of his last six starts. I think we’re getting quite the discount on this strikeout prop on Thursday.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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