The boys of summer in MLB are biding their time as the attention of the sports world is focused on the dramatic stages of the 2026 World Cup. Still, there is plenty on the Thursday sports schedule for fans of all stripes.
The quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup kick off Thursday with tournament favorites France taking on Morocco at 4 p.m. ET in Foxborough, Mass. There are also 13 MLB matchups on the Thursday schedule, with seven of those in the evening, plus Wimbledon, the Scottish Open, the WNBA and NBA Summer League among the many other sports betting and viewing options.
Les Bleus were running roughshod over World Cup 2026 before a clinical 1-0 victory against Paraguay in the Round of 16 on Saturday. That was the first match where France failed to score at least three goals, but with players like Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele and a stout defense, they shouldn’t be the least bit worried.
Oddsmakers weren’t fazed, and Les Bleus are the +180 favorites to win the tournament at FanDuel, ahead of Spain (+360) and reigning champs Argentina (+400). Morocco cruised past Canada 3-0 to reach the quarterfinals and will be looking to avenge a 2-0 loss to France in the 2022 World Cup semifinals.
Baseball has lost a bit of the limelight for now, but there has been no shortage of excitement as the 2026 MLB season approaches the break, with the All-Star Game set for Tuesday, July 14. The NL East has gotten more interesting in recent weeks as the Atlanta Braves have hit the skids while the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins have been surging. Those teams are tied for second behind Atlanta, just three games back entering Thursday’s games.
The Marlins beat the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Wednesday and can close out the three-game sweep Thursday if they can get their sixth straight victory. Miami is 15-4 in its past 19 games, while the Braves have lost 10 of their past 15. Star pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer will be on the mound in the Marlins’ final series before break, while Janson Junk (3-5, 4.80 ERA) will take the hill Thursday to try to close out the sweep.
In the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers have the second-best record in baseball behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they’re trying to rebound from a 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Milwaukee saw a four-game win streak end but will go for their fourth victory in a five-game series with Logan Henderson (2-1, 2.74 ERA) on the mound. The Cardinals are in third place in the Central, 9.5 games behind the Brewers.
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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark had a tough return to the court after a two-game absence, and she is likely to sit out Thursday when they take on the Phoenix Mercury in the second leg of a back-to-back. Clark played 16 minutes in a 106-92 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, scoring nine points and struggling to find her groove. This is the first meeting between the teams since June 24, when Alyssa Thomas triggered a national story with what was deemed an excessive foul with contact to Clark’s throat. The Fever are just half-game back in the Eastern Conference, while Phoenix is second-to-last in the West.
France are -420 to advance and -175 on the money line to beat Morocco in the recent World Cup odds at FanDuel, while the Mariners are -127 favorites on the consensus money line against the Marlins and the Brewers are -135 favorites against the Cardinals. The Mercury are slight -114 favorites, with Indiana priced at -106 in the recent WNBA odds.
Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Thursday, July 9. All times Eastern
World Cup best bets, where to watch
France vs. Morocco
Time: 4 p.m. | Location: Foxborough, Mass. | TV: Fox, Telemundo
SportsLine picks — Expert: France money line (Matt Severance)
This is a rematch of a semifinal at the 2022 World Cup, when then-reigning champions France beat the Atlas Lions 2-0 to advance to the final. They lost to Argentina on penalties, but this French team might be even better than the ones that reached the previous two finals. Kylian Mbappe is the star again, and the 2022 Golden Boot winner has seven goals in this World Cup. But it’s the players around him, like Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele, that set this team apart. Les Bleus scored at least three goals in every match before a 1-0 victory against Paraguay to reach the quarterfinals. Morocco had little trouble in their 3-0 victory against Canada, but Severance expects France to extend their unbeaten run to 13 competitive matches.
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MLB best bets, where to watch
Mariners at Marlins
Time: 6:40 p.m. | Location: Miami | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Marlins ML | Expert: Bryce Miller Over 5.5 strikeouts (PropBetGuy, Eric Cohen)
The Marlins have been relying on small ball and pitching to move back into the running for the NL East title, or at least a wild card spot. They are nine games over .500 as they roll toward the All-Star break in a good position. Miami is sixth in MLB in batting average, second in stolen bases, seventh in bullpen ERA and 10th overall ERA. The Mariners lead the AL West but are just one game over .500 and have a half-game lead over the Texas Rangers. The SportsLine model likes the Marlins, giving the money line play a ‘B’ grade as they win as plus-money underdogs in 53% of its simulations. Both experts see Miller as undervalued and expect the right-hander to have success against the Marlins, even if they don’t typically strike out a lot.
Brewers at Cardinals
Time: 7:45 p.m. | Location: St. Louis | TV: MLB.TV | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Over 8.5 | Expert: Brewers money line (Adam Thompson)
Milwaukee has the best team ERA in the major leagues at 3.32, and the bullpen has been nearly as good, posting a 3.34 mark (fourth). Logan Henderson is coming off the injured list following a back issue, and he hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his five starts this season. He allowed just two hits and no runs against the Dodgers his last time out, on May 22. The Cardinals will counter with Andre Pallante (10-5, 3.60 ERA), who allowed no runs on five hits against the Cubs last week. The model has this game going Over the total in 52.4% of its simulations, and Thompson is backing the Brew Crew. “Milwaukee has a premier bullpen and the Cardinals have had issues scoring, especially off right-handers,” he says.
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WNBA best bets, where to watch
Fever at Mercury
Time: 10 p.m. | Location: Phoenix | TV: Prime Video | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
It’s probably best that Clark is expected to sit out his matchup given the controversy that erupted in the last meeting. The Mercury won that one 111-109 in a game that featured 48 fouls. Kahleah Copper led Phoenix with 28 points, making 15 of 16 shots at the free-throw line. Clark scored 19 points in 20 minutes before the back issue forced her out in the third quarter. No foul was called on the Thomas incident, where she appeared to put her fist into Clark’s neck while fighting for a loose ball. Copper and Thomas average a combined 35 points per game and while Clark is out, fellow Fever star Aliyah Boston (17.1 points per game) is expected to be back alongside top scorer Kelsey Mitchell (22.2 points) after dealing with a leg injury.
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Looking ahead
Spain vs. Belgium
Time: Friday, July 10, 3 p.m. | Location: Ingelwood, Calif. | TV: Fox, Telemundo
SportsLine picks — Expert: Spain -0.75 (Martin Green)
It’s going to be difficult for the Spaniards to lose a game if they don’t concede a goal, and they haven’t yet at World Cup 2026. That’s why the 2024 European champions are the second favorites to win the tournament. La Furia Roja have perfected the art of holding the ball, poking and prodding until they find a scoring chance, and they have scored nine goals in their five matches. Belgium come in with confidence after they demolished the USMNT 4-1 on Monday, and the Red Devils’ aging golden generation isn’t ready to bow out yet. They have scored 12 goals in their past three matches, so Spain could be tested, but Green doesn’t think so. “It will be hard for [Belgium] to breach this suffocating Spain defense,” the expert says.
