WBC schedule begins March 7 and ends March 21 with championship game
The fifth World Baseball Classic begins on Tuesday Mar. 7 and is a two-week tournament that will culminate in the championship game at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. on Tuesday March 21. The four previous versions saw 16 teams, but this year’s version will have 20, as the United States looks to repeat as champions after beating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the last WBC back in 2017.
Odds are posted for Group Play and also the overall tournament winner at DraftKings Sportsbook, so let’s look at those and also some info on the teams.
2023 World Baseball Classic Odds
Dominican Republic +200
United States +275 Japan +300 Venezuela +900 Puerto Rico +1000 Korea Republic +1200 Mexico +2000 Cuba +2500 Canada +5000 Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) +5000 Netherlands +6500 Colombia +13000 Australia +13000 Panama +15000 Italy +15000 Israel +15000 Nicaragua +20000 Great Britain +20000 China +20000 Czech Republic +50000The teams from Australia on down are missing a couple of zeroes, as only a handful of the 20 teams really have a strong shot to win. Getting through pool play is the first step and then teams advance to the second round, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and then championship and third-place games.