The World Baseball Classic Betting Guide: 2026 WBC Schedule, Odds, Predictions
Before the MLB regular season gets underway on March 25 (with the full Opening Day lineup on March 26), baseball fans will be able to watch their favorite major-leaguers represent their countries in the World Baseball Classic.
The tournament gets underway on March 4, and we're providing you with an official World Baseball Classic betting guide to prepare yourself.
ποΈ World Baseball Classic betting guide: Tournament structure
The tournament consists of four pools, featuring five teams each. Every team will play each other once, and the top two teams from each pool will move on to the knockout stage. If there is a tie, it will be broken by the head-to-head record, followed by lowest runs allowed per number of defensive innings, lowest earned runs allowed/defensive innings, and then highest batting average.
Here's how the four pools look, with the odds via DraftKings for each team to win its respective pool.
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico (-185) | USA (-1000) | Japan (-1000) | Dominican Republic (-155) |
| Canada (+400) | Mexico (+700) | South Korea (+1100) | Venezuela (+120) |
| Cuba (+600) | Italy (+4000) | Australia (+2200) | Netherlands (+2000) |
| Colombia (+700) | Brazil (+5000) | Chinese Taipei (+2800) | Nicaragua (+6500) |
| Panama (+3500) | Great Britain (+6500) | Czechia (+6500) | Israel (+6500) |
- Pool play will run for one week from March 4 to March 11. The top eight teams will then compete in the knockout stage.
- The qualifying eight teams will play single-game eliminators, starting March 13, with the final being played on March 17. The MLB season begins just over a week later, as we outlined in our look at the 2026 MLB schedule and key dates.
- The 2023 final was a showdown between Team USA and Japan, the two biggest favorites for this year's tournament.
π° World Baseball Classic betting guide: Popular bets
Here are some of the most popular bets for the tournament. If you're familiar with MLB betting, you'll notice it's essentially the same.
Moneyline
A straight bet on who wins the game. These might not be as appealing as they sound, since there is a massive talent gap between the top teams and the bottom ones. For example, when Team USA plays Brazil on March 6, the Americans will be ridiculously big favorites.
Run line
This could prove as a better way to pick your winner, as the best sports betting sites usually allow you to place a bet on a certain team to win or lose by a designated number of runs. The default is generally a spread of 1.5 runs.
Futures: Outright winner
This is a bet on which country will win the World Baseball Classic. As you can see, there's a massive gap after the three biggest favorites at DraftKings, and again after the next group of contenders.
| Team | Odds | Implied probability | Profit ($10 bet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | +100 | 50% | $10 |
| Japan | +320 | 23.81% | $32 |
| Dominican Republic | +370 | 21.28% | $37 |
| Puerto Rico | +1300 | 7.14% | $110 |
| Venezuela | +1500 | 6.25% | $150 |
| Mexico | +2200 | 4.35% | $220 |
| South Korea | +3500 | 2.78% | $350 |
| Canada | +3500 | 2.78% | $350 |
| Netherlands | +5000 | 1.96% | $500 |
| Italy | +5000 | 1.96% | $500 |
| Cuba | +5000 | 1.96% | $500 |
| Colombia | +5000 | 1.96% | $500 |
| Panama | +6500 | 1.52% | $650 |
| Israel | +10000 | 0.99% | $1000 |
| Great Britain | +10000 | 0.99% | $1000 |
| Chinese Taipei | +10000 | 0.99% | $1000 |
| Czechia | +15000 | 0.66% | $1500 |
| Australia | +15000 | 0.66% | $1500 |
| Nicaragua | +25000 | 0.40% | $2500 |
| Brazil | +25000 | 0.40% | $2500 |
Betting tip: Try to find a good combination of one of the favorites - if you think one of them will win - and what I'd classify as a value pick. For example, maybe you are backing Team USA at +100. You could also look at Mexico at +2200 after its strong showing in 2023.
Player props: Home runs
We don't yet have access to player props, but most of the best sports betting apps will offer them ahead of the games. The easiest - and most fun - way to bet on any baseball game, and that includes those in the World Baseball Classic, is to target the home run market. With all of these star players taking the field, you'll have plenty to choose from when betting on the long ball.
π World Baseball Classic betting guide: 2026 WBC schedule
Wednesday, March 4
- Chinese Taipei vs. Australia (Pool play, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
Thursday, March 5
- Czechia vs. South Korea (Pool play, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
- Australia vs. Czechia (Pool play, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
Friday, March 6
- Japan vs. Chinese Taipei (Pool play, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
- Cuba vs. Panama (Pool play, 11 a.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Netherlands vs. Venezuela (Pool play, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Mexico vs. Great Britain (Pool play, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- Puerto Rico vs. Colombia (Pool play, 6 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- USA vs. Brazil (Pool play, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia (Pool play, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
Saturday, March 7
- South Korea vs. Japan (Pool play, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
- Colombia vs. Canada (Pool play, 11 a.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Nicaragua vs. Netherlands (Pool play, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Brazil vs. Italy (Pool play, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- Panama vs. Puerto Rico (Pool play, 6 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Israel vs. Venezuela (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Great Britain vs. USA (Pool play, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea (Pool play, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
Sunday, March 8
- Australia vs. Japan (Pool play, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
- Colombia vs. Cuba (Pool play, noon ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic (Pool play, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Great Britain vs. Italy (Pool play, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- Nicaragua vs. Israel (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Panama vs. Canada (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Brazil vs. Mexico (Pool play, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
Monday, March 9
- South Korea vs. Australia (Pool play, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
- Dominican Republic vs. Israel (Pool play, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Colombia vs. Panama (Pool play, noon ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Brazil vs. Great Britain (Pool play, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- Cuba vs. Puerto Rico (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Venezuela vs. Nicaragua (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Mexico vs. USA (Pool play, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
Tuesday, March 10
- Czechia vs. Japan (Pool play, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
- Israel vs. Netherlands (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- Canada vs. Puerto Rico (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Italy vs. USA (Pool play, 9 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
Wednesday, March 11
- Canada vs. Cuba (Pool play, 3 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
- Italy vs. Mexico (Pool play, 7 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela (Pool play, 8 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
Friday, March 13
- TBD vs. TBD (Quarterfinals, 6:30 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
- TBD vs. TBD (Quarterfinals, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
Saturday, March 14
- TBD vs. TBD (Quarterfinals, 3 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
- TBD vs. TBD (Quarterfinals, 9 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
Sunday, March 15
- TBD vs. TBD (Semifinals, 8 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
Monday, March 16
- TBD vs. TBD (Semifinals, 8 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
Tuesday, March 17
- TBD vs. TBD (Finals, 8 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
π― World Baseball Classic betting guide: My best prediction
Team USA (+100)
It's never fun to back the favorites, especially at a price this short. However, this version of Team USA is simply on another level compared to the 2023 squad that finished second to Japan,
In the final against Japan, the Americans sent Merrill Kelly to the mound, and he was followed by Kyle Freeland. This year, they'll be forced to choose between either the best pitcher in baseball, or the second best: Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes (rank them among each other however you want).
Additionally, the lineup is truly absurd, with power and speed from leadoff to the No. 9 hitter. This is the greatest collection of talent we've ever seen on a baseball field. You wouldn't be able to build this group in a two-man fantasy league, and it exists at the WBC.
I looked at Team USA in more depth and offered a long-shot pick in my World Baseball Classic predictions.
π€ How does the World Baseball Classic compare to MLB?
There are a few different rules when it comes to the World Baseball Classic. One of the similarities is that, for the first time, the WBC will adopt the pitch clock that is used in the major leagues. It was not used in 2023.
The biggest difference is the rules regarding pitcher limitations:
⚠️ Pitch limits in WBC
- Pitchers can't throw more than 65 pitches in a single game in pool play, more than 80 pitches in the quarterfinals, and more than 95 pitches in the championship round. The only exception is if passing that limit comes while completing a batter's plate appearance.
- Pitchers who throw 50 or more pitches in a single contest will be required to have a minimum of four days' rest before he can be used again. If they throw 30 or more pitches, it will require one day of rest, and pitchers who throw on consecutive days will also be required to rest for a day before pitching again.
There are also mercy rules in place, so you may not even get to watch your country play the entire game if it's winning or losing by too much:
- Games in pool play and the quarterfinals will end when a team leads by 10 or more runs after the completion of the seventh inning, or 15 or more runs after the fifth inning.
Finally, the team that finishes last in each pool will be relegated and need to qualify for the World Baseball Classic again before the next tournament.
βWorld Baseball Classic FAQs
Who is the World Baseball Classic favorite?
Team USA is the World Baseball Classic favorite, with odds of +100 at DraftKings carrying an implied probability of 50% that it'll win the tournament.
Who won the World Baseball Classic last time?
Japan won the last World Baseball Classic in 2023, defeating Team USA in the final.
When was the last time the World Baseball Classic was won back-to-back?
Japan won back-to-back in 2006 and 2009 and has a chance to do so again in 2026.
When will the World Baseball Classic be decided?
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will be played from March 4 to March 17, 2026.
Where will the 2026 World Baseball Classic be played?
The 2026 World Baseball Classic pool play rounds will be played in Miami, Houston, San Juan, and Tokyo. The quarterfinals will be split between Miami and Houston, and the final round will be played in Miami.
Who has won the most World Baseball Classic titles?
Japan has won the most World Baseball Classic titles with three.
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