Puerto Rico and Mexico both went 3-1 in pool play to advance to the quarterfinals. Who will prevail for a spot in the final four? Read on for our top Puerto Rico vs. Mexico picks for the WBC quarterfinals.
Puerto Rico lost closer Edwin Diaz in its big win over the rival Dominican Republic but still advanced to the quarterfinals. Puerto Rico finished 3-1 in pool play with a run differential of 30-12.
Over in Pool C, Mexico bounced back from an opening-game 5-4 loss to Colombia with an 11-5 victory over the USA the next night. It then squeaked out a 2-1 win over Great Britain before beating Canada 10-3 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Here is our best Puerto Rico vs. Mexico pick (odds via BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Puerto Rico vs. Mexico pick: WBC 2023
Puerto Rico couldn't beat Venezuela in its second game of the tournament but then again Venezuela swept through Pool D.
What's more important is that since that loss, Puerto Rico threw a perfect game in a 10-0 win against Israel and eliminated WBC favorite the Dominican Republic on Wednesday night.
Marcus Stroman, who won the last WBC with Team USA, is taking the mound for Puerto Rico on Friday. He allowed two hits and one run (a home run) in 4 2/3 innings against light-hitting Nicaragua in his lone start.
Mexico is going to have ace Julio Urias on the mound. The Los Angeles Dodgers southpaw was perfect through four innings in his first start but unraveled in the fifth with two doubles and a home run turning into three runs for Colombia. The pitch restrictions are raised for the quarterfinals but his MLB club will have him on a pitch count.
Both teams boast MLB talent with Randy Arozarena and Joey Meneses leading the way for Mexico while Francisco Lindor, Enrique Hernandez, and Javier Baez have done the most damage for Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is deeper all around, even without Diaz.
Puerto Rico should not be as high as it is at +110 via BetMGM and most other books have this closer to a pick 'em with Puerto Rico at -105 on DraftKings. Take the value on the better team here.
Puerto Rico vs. Mexico best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ML | ML | ML | ML | ML |
| -105 | +102 | +110 | +100 | +100 |
The odds are fairly close across the board but BetMGM offers at least eight cents of value over the competition on Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico vs. Mexico odds analysis
Mexico is the favorite between -130 (BetMGM) and -121 (BetRivers) on the moneyline.
The total is set at 7.5 favored toward the Under on DraftKings and at an even seven favored toward the over on Caesars.
Puerto Rico vs. Mexico game info
- Date: Friday, March 17, 2023, 7 p.m. ET
- TV: FS1
- Location: loanDepot park, Miami, FL
- Weather: Indoors
Puerto Rico-Mexico pick made 03/16/2023 at 4:46 p.m. ET.
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Puerto Rico and Mexico both went 3-1 in pool play to advance to the quarterfinals. Who will prevail for a spot in the final four?