⚾ World Baseball Classic Odds & Favorites 2026: Venezuela Wins First-Ever WBC Title
Venezuela sits atop the World Baseball Classic after taking down Team USA 3-2, winning its first-ever WBC title. Recap all of our WBC 2026 odds & expert picks from the tournament as we close the book on an incredible year of international baseball.
💰 WBC pool results
The round-robin (or pool-play) stage was broken into four groups.
- Pool A: Puerto Rico, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, and Panama played at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Pool B: USA, Mexico, Italy, Brazil, and Great Britain played at Daikin Park (home of the Astros) in Houston, Texas.
- Pool C: Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Australia, and Czechia played at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.
- Pool D: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Netherlands, Nicaragua, and Israel played at loanDepot park (home of the Marlins) in Miami, Florida.
(Teams bolded qualified for the knockout phase)
📅 Complete 2026 WBC results & schedule
Wednesday, March 4
- Chinese Taipei (0) vs. Australia (3)
Thursday, March 5
- Czechia (4) vs. South Korea (11)
- Australia (5) vs. Czechia (1)
Friday, March 6
- Japan (13) vs. Chinese Taipei (0) (*Mercy rule enforced after seven innings)
- Cuba (3) vs. Panama (1)
- Netherlands (2) vs. Venezuela (6)
- Mexico (8) vs. Great Britain(2)
- Puerto Rico (5) vs. Colombia (0)
- Nicaragua (3) vs. Dominican Republic (12)
- USA (15) vs. Brazil (5)
- Chinese Taipei (14) vs. Czechia (0) (*Mercy rule enforced after seven innings)
Saturday, March 7
- South Korea (6) vs. Japan (8)
- Colombia (2) vs. Canada (8)
- Nicaragua (3) vs. Netherlands (4)
- Brazil (0) vs. Italy (8)
- Panama (3) vs. Puerto Rico (4)
- Israel (3) vs. Venezuela (11)
- Great Britain (1) vs. USA (9)
- Chinese Taipei (5) vs. South Korea (4)
Sunday, March 8
- Australia (3) vs. Japan (4)
- Colombia (4) vs. Cuba (7)
- Netherlands (1) vs. Dominican Republic (12) (*Mercy rule enforced after seven innings)
- Great Britain (4) vs. Italy (7)
- Nicaragua (0) vs. Israel (5)
- Panama (4) vs. Canada (3)
- Brazil (0) vs. Mexico (16) (*Mercy rule enforced after six innings)
Monday, March 9
- South Korea (7) vs. Australia (2)
- Dominican Republic (10) vs. Israel (1)
- Colombia (4) vs. Panama (3)
- Brazil (1) vs. Great Britain (8)
- Cuba (1) vs. Puerto Rico (4)
- Venezuela (4) vs. Nicaragua (0)
- Mexico (3) vs. USA (5)
Tuesday, March 10
- Czechia (0) vs. Japan (9)
- Israel (6) vs. Netherlands (2)
- Canada (3) vs. Puerto Rico (2)
- Italy (8) vs. USA (6)
Wednesday, March 11
- Canada (7) vs. Cuba (2)
- Italy (9) vs. Mexico (1)
- Dominican Republic (7) vs. Venezuela (5)
Friday, March 13
- South Korea (0) vs. Dominican Republic (10)
- USA (5) vs. Canada (3)
Saturday, March 14
- Puerto Rico (6) vs. Italy (8)
- Venezuela (8) vs. Japan (5)
Sunday, March 15
- United States (2) vs. Dominican Republic (1)
Monday, March 16
- Venezuela (4) vs. Italy (2)
Tuesday, March 17
- United States (2) vs. Venezuela (3)
⚾ 2026 World Baseball Classic info
- When: March 4 to March 17
- Where: Miami, Houston, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Tokyo
- Favorite: USA (+150 via DraftKings)
🏆 Past World Baseball Classic winners
| Year | Team | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Japan | USA |
| 2017 | USA | Puerto Rico |
| 2013 | Dominican Republic | Puerto Rico |
| 2009 | Japan | South Korea |
| 2006 | Japan | Cuba |
💰 How to bet on the World Baseball Classic
All of the best sports betting apps feature odds for which team will win the tournament. Those prices will continue to fluctuate with each passing game.
There are also lines and odds for each game, but they tend to be released much closer to first pitch than we see with MLB games.
For the WBC final, our United States vs. Venezuela predictions anticipate a high-scoring game with Eduardo Rodriguez and Nolan McLean going up against two elite offenses. Meanwhile, Ronald Acuna highlights my best home run predictions for the WBC final.
❓ 2026 WBC FAQs
Who is the World Baseball Classic favorite?
Venezuela has won the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Who won the last World Baseball Classic?
Japan won the last World Baseball Classic in 2023, defeating Team USA in the final.
When will the WBC be decided?
The 2026 World Baseball Classic will be played from March 4 to March 17.
How do the WBC rules compare to MLB?
- 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.
- 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.
Who was in the final of the World Baseball Classic?
The United States takes on Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic final on March 17.
What if there's a tie in pool-play records?
- 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.
- Additionally, 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.
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