MLB picks today for September 20, 2026: all 15 games on the board with a straight winner pick on each, plus the best number we could find across the major books — plus first-inning YRFI/NRFI leans for every matchup with confirmed starters. No standout value on today’s board — the market is pricing these tight, so shop the reference numbers below.
Table of Contents
Full MLB Slate
| Time | Matchup | Pick | Total | Best number | Starters | 1st inning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:11 PM ET | Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets | Philadelphia Phillies (55%) | Under 7.5 (51%) FLIP | New York Mets +153 (LowVig.ag) | Cristopher Sánchez (2.93 ERA) v Jonah Tong (3.43 ERA) | NRFI▲ (60%) |
| 1:36 PM ET | Kansas City Royals @ Pittsburgh Pirates | Pittsburgh Pirates (56%) MODEL FLIP | Under 8.5 (53%) | Pittsburgh Pirates +105 (BetUS) | Michael Wacha (3.34 ERA) v Lake Bachar (3.50 ERA) | NRFI▲ (62%) |
| 1:40 PM ET | Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays | Tampa Bay Rays (56%) | Over 7.5 (52%) | Tampa Bay Rays -139 (LowVig.ag) | Patrick Sandoval (4.99 ERA) v Griffin Jax (3.80 ERA) | NRFI (52%) |
| 1:41 PM ET | Athletics @ Cleveland Guardians | Cleveland Guardians (69%) | Over 7 (59%) | Athletics +210 (BetOnline.ag) | Jack Perkins (6.14 ERA) v Gavin Williams (3.78 ERA) | YRFI▲ (59%) |
| 1:41 PM ET | Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds | Chicago Cubs (62%) | Under 10 (57%) | Cincinnati Reds +144 (BetOnline.ag) | TBD | — |
| 2:11 PM ET | Atlanta Braves @ Houston Astros | Atlanta Braves (53%) MODEL FLIP | Under 8 (50%) FLIP | Atlanta Braves +126 (Bovada) | Martín Pérez (3.07 ERA) v Hunter Brown (3.43 ERA) | NRFI▲ (60%) |
| 2:11 PM ET | Detroit Tigers @ Chicago White Sox | Detroit Tigers (51%) MODEL FLIP | Over 8 (50%) | Detroit Tigers +105 (BetUS) | Troy Melton (2.52 ERA) v Davis Martin (3.96 ERA) | NRFI (52%) |
| 2:16 PM ET | Washington Nationals @ St. Louis Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals (56%) | Over 8.5 (54%) | Washington Nationals +128 (BetRivers) | Jake Irvin (5.51 ERA) v Quinn Mathews (3.62 ERA) | YRFI▲ (59%) |
| 2:36 PM ET | Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers | Texas Rangers (55%) | Under 7.5 (51%) FLIP | Toronto Blue Jays +145 (BetRivers) | Spencer Miles (2.65 ERA) v Jacob deGrom (3.79 ERA) | NRFI▲ (62%) |
| 3:11 PM ET | Seattle Mariners @ Colorado Rockies | Seattle Mariners (55%) | Over 10.5 (53%) | Colorado Rockies +140 (LowVig.ag) | Kade Anderson (5.33 ERA) v Tomoyuki Sugano (5.49 ERA) | YRFI▲ (70%) |
| 4:08 PM ET | Minnesota Twins @ Los Angeles Angels | Los Angeles Angels (51%) MODEL FLIP | Over 8.5 (51%) FLIP | Minnesota Twins -113 (BetOnline.ag) | Dean Kremer (5.35 ERA) v Ryan Johnson (4.88 ERA) | YRFI▲ (64%) |
| 4:11 PM ET | Miami Marlins @ San Diego Padres | San Diego Padres (55%) | Over 8 (51%) | San Diego Padres -132 (BetOnline.ag) | Sandy Alcantara (3.84 ERA) v Walker Buehler (4.58 ERA) | NRFI (54%) |
| 4:11 PM ET | New York Yankees @ Arizona Diamondbacks | New York Yankees (56%) | Under 8.5 (51%) | Arizona Diamondbacks -101 (BetOnline.ag) | Will Warren (3.89 ERA) v Corbin Burnes (5.87 ERA) | YRFI (52%) |
| 4:11 PM ET | San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers | Los Angeles Dodgers (71%) | Over 8 (52%) | San Francisco Giants +230 (DraftKings) | TBD | — |
| 7:21 PM ET | Milwaukee Brewers @ Baltimore Orioles | Milwaukee Brewers (66%) | Over 7.5 (50%) | Baltimore Orioles +180 (FanDuel) | Jacob Misiorowski (1.89 ERA) v Brandon Young (3.65 ERA) | NRFI▲ (66%) |
Over / Under Board
- Over 7 — Athletics @ Cleveland Guardians: our number is 8.58, so we make it 59% to land over.
- Under 10 — Chicago Cubs @ Cincinnati Reds: our number is 8.83, so we make it 57% to land under.
- Over 8.5 — Washington Nationals @ St. Louis Cardinals: our number is 9.18, so we make it 54% to land over.
- Over 10.5 — Seattle Mariners @ Colorado Rockies: our number is 10.93, so we make it 53% to land over.
- Under 8.5 — Kansas City Royals @ Pittsburgh Pirates: our number is 8.03, so we make it 53% to land under.
- Over 7.5 — Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays: our number is 7.73, so we make it 52% to land over.
YRFI / NRFI Leans
Two shaky arms in Kade Anderson and Tomoyuki Sugano lighting it up early, and that’s before you even factor in the thin Coors air. Model’s got this as the day’s strongest lean and the starter profiles back it up completely.
- NRFI Philadelphia Phillies @ New York Mets — 60% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Cristopher Sánchez (2.93 ERA) vs Jonah Tong (3.43 ERA))
- NRFI Kansas City Royals @ Pittsburgh Pirates — 62% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Michael Wacha (3.34 ERA) vs Lake Bachar (3.50 ERA))
- YRFI Athletics @ Cleveland Guardians — 59% chance of a first-inning run (Jack Perkins (6.14 ERA) vs Gavin Williams (3.78 ERA))
- NRFI Boston Red Sox @ Tampa Bay Rays — 52% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Patrick Sandoval (4.99 ERA) vs Griffin Jax (3.80 ERA))
- NRFI Atlanta Braves @ Houston Astros — 60% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Martín Pérez (3.07 ERA) vs Hunter Brown (3.43 ERA))
- NRFI Detroit Tigers @ Chicago White Sox — 52% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Troy Melton (2.52 ERA) vs Davis Martin (3.96 ERA))
- YRFI Washington Nationals @ St. Louis Cardinals — 59% chance of a first-inning run (Jake Irvin (5.51 ERA) vs Quinn Mathews (3.62 ERA))
- NRFI Toronto Blue Jays @ Texas Rangers — 62% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Spencer Miles (2.65 ERA) vs Jacob deGrom (3.79 ERA))
- YRFI Seattle Mariners @ Colorado Rockies — 70% chance of a first-inning run (Kade Anderson (5.33 ERA) vs Tomoyuki Sugano (5.49 ERA))
- YRFI Minnesota Twins @ Los Angeles Angels — 64% chance of a first-inning run (Dean Kremer (5.35 ERA) vs Ryan Johnson (4.88 ERA))
- NRFI Miami Marlins @ San Diego Padres — 54% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Sandy Alcantara (3.84 ERA) vs Walker Buehler (4.58 ERA))
- YRFI New York Yankees @ Arizona Diamondbacks — 52% chance of a first-inning run (Will Warren (3.89 ERA) vs Corbin Burnes (5.87 ERA))
- NRFI Milwaukee Brewers @ Baltimore Orioles — 66% chance the first inning stays scoreless (Jacob Misiorowski (1.89 ERA) vs Brandon Young (3.65 ERA))
New to first-inning markets? Start with our guide: NRFI and YRFI, explained.
How we read these boards: how to read a matchup.
The Pick comes from our power ratings — season scoring differential, strength-adjusted matchup math, and home edge — blended with the market’s no-vig fair price; the number shown is that blend’s win probability. The Total is built the same way: we estimate each side’s scoring from what these teams score and concede (for baseball, adjusted for the listed starters and the ballpark), recentre that estimate against the day’s posted numbers so a modelling bias can’t tilt the whole board, and compare it to the line. A MODEL FLIP means our ratings like the side the market has as the underdog. A “VALUE” tag is a different thing: it means the best available number beats the fair price by 3–12% (sometimes that value sits on the side we don’t pick to win — a good price and a likely winner aren’t always the same bet). These are leans, not locks — decision support for bets you were already considering, on whatever book or market you use. Lines move; check the current number before you do anything.
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