Following a challenging group stage that included some unexpected setbacks, the United States has reclaimed its position as the top choice to capture the World Baseball Classic title as elimination rounds commence Friday.
The Americans initially started the tournament with +140 championship odds, but those numbers dropped to +225 following an upset defeat to Italy, temporarily making the Dominican Republic the betting favorites at +175. In a twist of fate, Italy’s subsequent win over Mexico on Wednesday gave Team USA a lifeline to advance.
As single-elimination competition begins, the United States enters as overwhelming 4.5-run favorites against Canada on Friday, with moneyline odds of -800 at BetMGM by Friday afternoon. The quarterfinal action opens with the Dominican Republic also favored by 4.5 runs against South Korea.
Saturday’s doubleheader features Italy as slight -105 favorites over Puerto Rico, though no run line is currently available for that matchup. The final quarterfinal contest will see Japan favored by 1.5 runs over Venezuela.
Team USA has returned to championship favorite status at +125 odds and represents the sportsbook’s largest potential loss, attracting 37.8% of all bets placed and 51.2% of the total money wagered on the tournament winner. The Dominican Republic ranks second in betting action with 26.7% of bets and 25.2% of the money.
Japan follows with 18.0% of total wagers and 12.8% of the money, while superstar Shohei Ohtani leads the MVP betting market. Ohtani has drawn 16.8% of MVP bets and 17.6% of the money, causing his odds to improve significantly from +1100 to +500.
Current championship odds at BetMGM show USA (+125), Dominican Republic (+240), Japan (+375), Venezuela (+900), Puerto Rico (+1800), Italy (+2000), Canada (+5000), and Korea (+8000).
DraftKings offers similar rankings with Team USA at slightly longer +130 odds, followed by the Dominican Republic at +250 and Japan at +370.
