Those who are playing this year’s World Baseball Classic odds are gearing up for the tournament’s first game on Thursday and offshore sportsbook odds are counting on a three-horse race for the title. There are also a couple of online betting underdogs looking to crash the party.
The United States are co-favorites at +200, and they have the best infield in the competition, led by Dustin Pedroia, Derek Jeter, Jimmie Rollins and David Wright. The starting pitching is in good shape with Roy Oswalt, Jake Peavy and Ted Lilly, but the absence of Joe Nathan and B.J. Ryan is a blow to their bullpen.
The Dominican Republic are also rated at +200 after losing to Cuba in the semifinal in 2006 and, in Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz, they have a monster mid-lineup duo. The starting pitchers are very young, but talented, and they’ll be the key to the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic betting chances.
Japan is listed at +400 to defend its title, and Daisuke Matsuzaka is looking to repeat his MVP performance from the 2006 tournament. Japan was very balanced en route to its victory, leading the competition in batting average and homers, and it was third in ERA.
Two WBC betting underdogs are Cuba at +800 and Venezuela at +1200. Cuba lost to Japan in the 2006 final and returns with an entire roster of non-MLB players. Venezuela would love to have Johan Santana on the roster, but now the onus is on Carlos Zambrano to lead the pitching staff.
This tournament will come down to the best teams, and those are the United States and Dominican Republic. The key player in this tournament will be A-Rod, who will be looking to put a tumultuous offseason behind him with a massive performance. When making your World Baseball Classic picks, bet on the Dominican Republic at the sportsbook.
