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Venezuela features in our World Baseball Classic best bets
Luis Rengifo #1 of Team Venezuela runs home to score a run against Team Nicaragua during the fifth inning in a World Baseball Classic Pool D game on March 14. Megan Briggs/Getty Images/AFP

The World Baseball Classic quarterfinals get underway early on Wednesday as pool play continues the rest of the afternoon and evening. Read on for our WBC best bets for Wednesday.

Cuba edged Australia in the first quarterfinal matchup of this year’s World Baseball Classic. The Cubans advance to the semifinals in Miami on Sunday.

Pool play takes center stage in the afternoon and evening, finishing with a marquee matchup between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Here are our WBC best bets for Wednesday (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Wednesday’s WBC schedule and odds

(odds via DraftKings)

  • Australia 3 vs. Cuba 4
  • Venezuela (-1650) vs. Israel (+950)
  • Mexico (-275) vs. Canada (+230)
  • Puerto Rico (+275) vs. Dominican Republic (-330)
  • United State vs. Colombia

Wednesday’s WBC best bets

  • Total: Mexico vs. Canada Under 10.5 (-105 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Moneyline: Puerto Rico ML vs. Dominican Republic (+285 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐

Wednesday’s WBC top picks

Total: Mexico vs. Canada Under 10.5 (-105 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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The total is listed at 10.5 across the board here, but DraftKings offers the best line at -105 with other books at -110 or higher.

There have been quite a few low-scoring games in recent days, including both games at Chase Field on Tuesday. Canada beat Colombia 5-0, while Mexico beat Great Britain 2-1.

Both Mexico and Canada have had one game where it exploded for double-digit runs, but each side has just six runs in its other two games combined.

Mexico’s Jose Urquidy has plenty of experience pitching in big games for the Houston Astros, and will make his first start of the WBC this afternoon. Canada’s Rob Zastryzny doesn’t quite have that same name recognition, but he did pitch 4 1/3 shutout innings in spring training before heading to Phoenix for the tournament.

The winner of this game will move to 3-1 and, in all likelihood, the quarterfinals in Miami. Pitching and defense should be the name of the game in such an important matchup.

Moneyline: Puerto Rico ML vs. Dominican Republic (+285 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐

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This will be one of the most intense games of the tournament. These teams are rivals and things will be taken up a notch with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.

Both teams lost to Venezuela (DR 5-1, PR 9-6) while each beat Israel by the same 10-0 final score. Puerto Rico beat Nicaragua 9-1 in its opening game while the Dominican Republic scored six against Nicaragua while also allowing one run.

This should be a much closer game than the line suggests. These odds of +285 imply just a 25.97% chance of winning the game.

I’d also consider Puerto Rico on the run line at +2.5 (+105 via BetMGM) for a safer play. This should be a close game between two rival countries.

WBC best bets made 3/15/2023 at 2:25 p.m. ET

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