Happy Sunday! We’ve officially made it to the end of the week, and as usual, the MLB slate will get off to an early start. 11 of the 15 contests will take place at 2:15 p.m. ET or later, including the second game of the London Series between the Mets and Phillies. A three-game afternoon slate will follow, and the Sunday Night Baseball nightcap is a great one. The Yankees will host the Dodgers in a potential World Series preview.

Let’s dive into some of my favorite betting options for Sunday’s slate.

MLB Bets Today – Picks for Sunday, June 9

New York Yankees ML vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (+108; FanDuel)

The Yankees have dropped the first two games in their series vs. the Dodgers, but they’ll have arguably their best pitcher on the bump on Sunday. Luis Gil wasn’t even assured an Opening Day rotation spot, but the injury to Gerrit Cole allowed him to seize one. He has not looked back, pitching to an elite 1.82 ERA through 12 starts. He has some of the best strikeout numbers in baseball, and his 28.9% hard-hit rate also ranks in the 95th percentile. Navigating the Dodgers’ lineup isn’t easy, but Gil has the stuff to do it.

The Dodgers will have an excellent pitcher on the mound as well, with Tyler Glasnow getting the nod. That said, Glasnow is a bit more hittable. His Statcast metrics aren’t quite as impressive, and he also issues his fair share of walks. The Yankees offense has been the best in baseball against right-handers this season (128 wRC+), so this seems like an excellent opportunity to buy low on them.

One thing to keep an eye on is the status of Juan Soto. He’s missed the first two games of this series with a forearm injury, but there’s a chance he returns on Sunday. If Soto is back, the Yankees should probably be favored in this matchup.

Kansas City Royals ML vs. Seattle Mariners (-120; Caesars)

Sunday’s matchup between the Royals and Mariners features one of the best pitching matchups on the slate. The Royals will turn to Cole Ragans, while the Mariners will send George Kirby to the bump.

Both of these pitchers have the potential to excel, but I’ll take my chances with Ragans. He was fantastic after being traded from the Rangers to the Royals in 2023, and he’s largely lived up to expectations this season. His xERA sits at 3.21, while his strikeout and whiff rates are both in the 86th percentile or better.

The Mariners have also been a roughly league-average team against left-handers. Add in home-field advantage for the Royals, and -120 feels like a solid value.

More MLB Bets for Sunday, June 9

Diamondbacks-Padres Under 8.5 runs (-112)

The Padres will send Adam Mazur to the mound on Sunday, and the rookie impressed with a 1.50 ERA in his first start. The Padres' No. 5 prospect should be able to duplicate his success vs. the Diamondbacks, who are just 24th in wRC+ vs. right-handers. The Diamondbacks’ situation is a bit more complicated, with Scott McGaugh serving as an opener. It’s unclear what the D’Backs will do after McGaugh departs, but they should be able to piece things together with their bullpen. 

Mitch Spence Under 3.5 strikeouts (-110)

Spence has had a nice season for the A’s, transitioning successfully from the bullpen to the starting rotation. He owns a 3.32 ERA in his four starts, but he hasn’t exactly been piling up the strikeouts. His strikeout rate puts him in the 36th percentile, and he’s yet to record more than four strikeouts in a start. He’ll draw a brutal matchup Sunday vs. the Blue Jays, who have the fifth-lowest strikeout rate vs. right-handers this season. Under 3.5 seems like a reasonable outcome.

2024 MLB Bets Record

  • Friday: 3-1 (+1.1 units)
  • Season: 128-134-6 (-10.675 units)

All bets are based on half units unless stated otherwise.