World Baseball Classic Pool Odds, Predictions 2026: Navigating Severe Talent Gap to Find Value

The 2026 World Baseball Classic gets underway on March 4, with one full week of pool play to determine which eight teams will play in the knockout stage. We're scouring the World Baseball Classic pool odds to make our best predictions for the first phase of play.

It can be difficult to bet on pool play, as a significant gap in talent creates wide ranges of prices, but we're making our best prediction for each group so you don't have to worry about that.

🔢 World Baseball Classic pool odds

The World Baseball Classic consists of four pools, featuring five teams each. Every team will play each other once throughout the first week of action.

How to determine a tie in WBC pool odds: if there's a tie in terms of win-loss records, 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.

Pool A odds

Odds via DraftKings to win Pool A.

As expected, Puerto Rico is the favorite to win Pool A, with these games being played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan.

After the hosts, the trio of Canada, Cuba, and Colombia are tightly priced to qualify from the group. Call me a homer if you want, but it's the Canadians who I'm the most interested in from the pack.

Canada features plenty of MLB talent, and though the names may not be flashy, it's a group of veteran players who've played under the brightest lights for many years. I don't see them getting intimidated by the crowd in San Juan, and I think Canada could prove to be the real shock of pool play and emerge as the winner.

✅ Best Pool A prediction: Canada to win Pool A (+450 via FanDuel)

For all of my picks, head to my World Baseball Classic predictions.

Pool A schedule

• Cuba vs. Panama (March 6, 11 a.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Puerto Rico vs. Colombia (March 6, 6 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Colombia vs. Canada (March 7, 11 a.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Panama vs. Puerto Rico (March 7, 6 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Colombia vs. Cuba (March 8, noon ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Panama vs. Canada (March 8, 7 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Colombia vs. Panama (March 9, noon ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Cuba vs. Puerto Rico (March 9, 7 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Canada vs. Puerto Rico (March 10, 7 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)
• Canada vs. Cuba (March 11, 3 p.m. ET, Hiram Bithorn Stadium - San Juan)

Pool B odds

Odds via DraftKings to win Pool B.

The tournament's outright favorite, Team USA, is expectedly a massive front-runner to win its group. Following behind it as the clear second-biggest favorite is Mexico, who put on a show during the 2023 WBC.

In fact, Mexico won the group that included the Americans in the last tournament, and if I was going to bet on Pool B play, I'd go with the Mexicans to repeat that feat.

I don't really love any bet when it comes to Pool B - though I do have outright bets on Team USA and Mexico - but I'd be willing to wager half a unit on Mexico to win it at +700.

✅ Best Pool B prediction: Mexico to win Pool B (+700 via DraftKings)

Pool B schedule

• Mexico vs. Great Britain (March 6, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• USA vs. Brazil (March 6, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Brazil vs. Italy (March 7, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Great Britain vs. USA (March 7, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Great Britain vs. Italy (March 8, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Brazil vs. Mexico (March 8, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Brazil vs. Great Britain (March 9, 1 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Mexico vs. USA (March 9, 8 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Italy vs. USA (March 10, 9 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)
• Italy vs. Mexico (March 11, 7 p.m. ET, Daikin Park - Houston)

Pool C odds

Odds via DraftKings to win Pool C.

This is more or less a copy of Pool B from the 2023 World Baseball Classic, which featured Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei.

In that tournament, Australia finished 3-1 in group play and qualified alongside Japan. Despite the fact that South Korea is priced as the second-biggest favorite, I'd be willing to back the Australians to find success once again and qualify alongside the favorites.

In fact, at FanDuel, Australia is trading at even longer odds to qualify as the joint-third-biggest favorite with Chinese Taipei. I don't think the Australians are getting the respect they deserve after their 2023 showing.

However, the best bet from this group remains one on Japan to win the tournament outright. I think Team USA is more talented, but it's hard to fade the defending champions.

✅ Best Pool C prediction: Australia to qualify from Pool C (+240 via FanDuel)

Pool C schedule

• Chinese Taipei vs. Australia (March 4, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• Czechia vs. South Korea (March 5, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• Australia vs. Czechia (March 5, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• Japan vs. Chinese Taipei (March 6, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia (March 6, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• South Korea vs. Japan (March 7, 5 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea (March 7, 10 p.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• Australia vs. Japan (March 8, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• South Korea vs. Australia (March 9, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)
• Czechia vs. Japan (March 10, 6 a.m. ET, Tokyo Dome)

Pool D odds

Odds via DraftKings to win Pool D.

This is the closest thing we have to a Group of Death in this tournament, as the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are both very strong teams and contenders to win the tournament outright, but the Netherlands are also very dangerous and could shock a lot of people in pool play.

Revenge will be on the mind for this Dutch team, which lost out on qualifying in 2023 due to a tiebreaker with Italy. 

It's entirely possible the two powerhouses qualify, which, in reality, should be the case. However, Netherlands profiles as one of my favorites underdogs of pool play, especially at this price.

✅ Best Pool D prediction: Netherlands to qualify from Pool D (+450 via DraftKings)

Pool D schedule

• Netherlands vs. Venezuela (March 6, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic (March 6, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Nicaragua vs. Netherlands (March 7, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Israel vs. Venezuela (March 7, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic (March 8, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Nicaragua vs. Israel (March 8, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Dominican Republic vs. Israel (March 9, noon ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Venezuela vs. Nicaragua (March 9, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Israel vs. Netherlands (March 10, 7 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)
• Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela (March 11, 8 p.m. ET, loanDepot park - Miami)

✏️ World Baseball Classic pool play betting tips

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when it comes to World Baseball Classic betting in general is that this tournament has different rules. We outlined all the differences in World Baseball Classic betting guide, but here's how they can affect your bets.

First, the mercy rule can limit the number of plate appearances star players get. For example, if you bet on Aaron Judge to hit a home run against Great Britain, just be aware of the fact that the game could be over after the fifth inning if Team USA is up by 15-plus runs.

That could also have an impact on game totals too, so factor that in when you bet a game's Over/Under.

Additionally, because this is a tournament with so few games vs. the long, slog that is the MLB season, be sure you're checking the odds after every game. They can swing wildly, you'll want to take advantage of any edge you find.

💰 My World Baseball Classic pool bets

Canada to win Pool A

Netherlands to qualify from Pool D