2026 World Baseball Classic Betting Odds & Schedule: Can Anyone Beat Team USA?
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is fast approaching, so it’s not only time to figure out when the games are scheduled, but also what bets to lock in.
As always, Team USA is an absolute juggernaut, featuring a star-studded roster that enters the tournament as the clear-cut favorite. But we can’t count out Japan or the Dominican Republic, as each squad is stacked with talent of their own.
With that in mind, we’ll dive into a full breakdown of the 2026 World Baseball Classic betting odds and schedule to get you ready for this intriguing tournament.
2026 World Baseball Classic Betting Odds
World Baseball Classic betting odds are courtesy of BetOnline Sportsbook as of February 26th at 10 a.m. ET.
- USA (-110)
- Japan (+315)
- Dominican Republic (+375)
- Puerto Rico (+1000)
- Venezuela (+1600)
- Mexico (+2000)
- Korea (+3300)
- Canada (+3300)
- Netherlands (+5000)
- Cuba (+5000)
- Italy (+6600)
- Colombia (+6600)
- Panama (+6600)
- Israel (+10000)
- Great Britain (+10000)
- Chinese Taipei (+10000)
- Czechia (+15000)
- Australia (+15000)
- Nicaragua (+15000)
- Brazil (+25000)
USA, Japan & Dominican Republic in Top Tier
The only legitimate contenders to knock off USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic are Japan and Dominican Republic, as reflected in the betting odds.
Japan won the tournament back in 2023, so they’re certainly capable of repeating as champions. We all know generational superstar Shohei Ohtani and ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but don’t forget about sluggers Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto.
The Dominican Republic also has a murderer’s row on offense, with a laundry list of stars that includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Juan Soto, among several others. While the pitching isn’t nearly as deep as USA, they do have a frontline starter in Cristopher Sanchez.
Venezuela is a Potential Dark Horse
With that said, this is a baseball tournament in a small sample, so anything can happen. We can’t rule out any major upsets. After all, USA didn’t win last time. If we’re looking at major longshots, the best choice is Venezuela.
This is a team that has several good hitters in its lineup, headlined by Ronald Acuña Jr., who is joined by Maikel Garcia, William Contreras, and Eugenio Suarez. While the pitching is limited, they still have Ranger Suarez, who is a rock-solid lefty.
Puerto Rico Could Bust
Puerto Rico has some talented players on its roster, including Edwin Diaz, Nolan Arenado, and Heliot Ramos. However, it’s hard to feel confident about their chances at a deep run in this tournament because of who’s not on the roster.
Both Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa, two of the best players on the team, are unable to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic due to issues with insurance coverage. Even though Puerto Rican superstar musician Bad Bunny offered to pay for them, that was denied, so these players won’t be there. That’s a major loss for Puerto Rico that could be tough to overcome.
Canada Has Easier Path to Quarterfinals
As a Canadian myself, I have extremely low expectations for Canada in this tournament. The team will be without two of its best players in Freddie Freeman and Nick Pivetta. It’s already an extremely thin roster, so they clearly could have used Freeman and Pivetta. With their absence, it’s hard to see Canada doing much here. Even at (+3300) odds, their price looks inflated.
The team will need Josh Naylor and Tyler O’Neill to carry the load on offense. They’ll have to win some high-scoring games because their best pitcher on paper is Jameson Taillon, who is a backend innings-eater at best. It’s hard to expect much from this group, but surprises can always happen in a short tournament. However, it’s worth noting that their group looks pretty wide-open, so they may still advance to the quarterfinals despite an undermanned roster.
2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule
Now, let’s get into when the games take place and what the pools look like. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stage. Each team faces opponents in their pool once.
Pool A
- Puerto Rico
- Panama
- Cuba
- Canada
- Colombia
The games for Pool A take place in San Juan, so Puerto Rico will have home field advantage here, which could be pivotal in getting them through the group stage.
Even with Canada playing without Freddie Freeman and Nick Pivetta, there’s a clear path to advance. Cuba, Panama, and Colombia have underwhelming rosters.
Prediction: Puerto Rico and Canada advance
Pool A Schedule
- March 6: Cuba vs. Panama – 11 a.m. ET
- March 6: Puerto Rico vs. Colombia – 6 p.m. ET
- March 7: Colombia vs. Canada – 11 a.m. ET
- March 7: Panama vs. Puerto Rico – 6 p.m. ET
- March 8: Colombia vs. Cuba – 12 p.m. ET
- March 8: Panama vs. Canada – 7 p.m. ET
- March 9: Colombia vs. Panama – 12 p.m. ET
- March 9: Cuba vs. Puerto Rico – 7 p.m. ET
- March 10: Canada vs. Puerto Rico – 7 p.m. ET
- March 11: Canada vs. Cuba – 3 p.m. ET
Pool B
- United States
- Mexico
- Italy
- Great Britain
- Brazil
USA will have home field advantage with the games taking place in Houston, not that it matters much with their talent and this strength of schedule.
The biggest question here is, who will join them in advancing to the quarter finals? Mexico looks like the best bet for that, as Italy, Great Britain, and Brazil aren’t as strong on paper.
Prediction: USA and Mexico advance
Pool B Schedule
- March 6: Mexico vs. Great Britain – 1 p.m. ET
- March 6: USA vs. Brazil – 8 p.m. ET
- March 7: Brazil vs. Italy – 1 p.m. ET
- March 7: Great Britain vs. USA – 8 p.m. ET
- March 8: Great Britain vs. Italy – 1 p.m. ET
- March 8: Brazil vs. Mexico – 8 p.m. ET
- March 9: Brazil vs. Great Britain – 1 p.m. ET
- March 9: Mexico vs. USA – 8 p.m. ET
- March 10: Italy vs. USA – 9 p.m. ET
- March 11: Italy vs. Mexico – 7 p.m. ET
Pool C
- Japan
- Korea
- Australia
- Czechia
- Chinese Taipei
Japan will have the benefit of playing in front of a home crowd in Tokyo, so they should be able to cruise through the group stage.
I like Korea as the other team to advance, as they’re more talented on paper than Australia, Czechia, and Chinese Taipei.
Prediction: Japan and Korea advance
Pool C Schedule
- March 4: Chinese Taipei vs. Australia – 10 p.m. ET
- March 5: Czechia vs. Korea – 5 a.m. ET
- March 5: Australia vs. Czechia – 10 p.m. ET
- March 6: Japan vs. Chinese Taipei – 5 a.m. ET
- March 6: Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia – 10 p.m. ET
- March 7: Korea vs. Japan – 5 a.m. ET
- March 7: Chinese Taipei vs. Korea – 10 p.m. ET
- March 8: Australia vs. Japan – 6 a.m. ET
- March 9: Korea vs. Australia – 6 a.m. ET
- March 10: Czechia vs. Japan – 6 a.m. ET
Pool D
- Venezuela
- Netherlands
- Dominican Republic
- Israel
- Nicaragua
Pool D is the lone group where a team does not have home field advantage, as the games are being played in Miami. However, with a strong Latino population, it’s a pretty central location for teams like Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
Dominican Republic should get through at the top of this group, joined by Venezuela. If I had to go with a dark horse, it would be Netherlands because they have some talented big-leaguers, like Xander Bogaerts and Jurickson Profar.
Prediction: Dominican Republic and Venezuela advance
Pool D Schedule
- March 6: Netherlands vs. Venezuela – 12 p.m. ET
- March 6: Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic – 7 p.m. ET
- March 7: Netherlands vs. Nicaragua – 12 p.m. ET
- March 7: Israel vs. Venezuela – 7 p.m. ET
- March 8: Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic – 12 p.m. ET
- March 8: Nicaragua vs. Israel – 7 p.m. ET
- March 9: Dominican Republic vs. Israel – 12 p.m. ET
- March 9: Venezuela vs. Nicaragua – 7 p.m. ET
- March 10: Israel vs. Netherlands – 7 p.m. ET
- March 11: Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela – 8 p.m. ET
Quarterfinals
- March 13: TBD vs. TBD – 6:30 p.m. ET (Miami)
- March 13: TBD vs. TBD – 8 p.m. ET (Houston)
- March 14: TBD vs. TBD – 3 p.m. ET (Houston)
- March 14: TBD vs. TBD – 9 p.m. ET (Miami)
Semifinals
- March 15: TBD vs. TBD – 8 p.m. ET (Miami)
- March 16: TBD vs. TBD – 8 p.m. ET (Miami)
Finals
- March 17: TBD vs. TBD – 8 p.m. ET (Miami)
2026 World Baseball Classic Best Bet: Can Anyone Beat USA?
Now, it’s time for what you’ve all been waiting for. We’ve scanned through the betting odds, looked at the pools, and figured out the schedule. We have to answer the question now: will anyone knock off USA?
My best bet for the 2026 World Baseball Classic is the Dominican Republic at (+375) betting odds. Just look at some of the players on this roster:
- Cristopher Sanchez (SP)
- Sandy Alcantara (SP)
- Abner Uribe (RP)
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B)
- Junior Caminero (3B)
- Ketel Marte (2B)
- Manny Machado (3B)
- Juan Soto (OF)
- Julio Rodriguez (OF)
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (OF)
That lineup could be virtually unstoppable, even against the aces like Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal that USA can put on the mound.
We saw Japan beat USA in the 2023 WBC, now it’s time for the Dominican Republic.
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
