The World Baseball Classic final pits USA (5-1) and Japan (6-0) on Tuesday night at loanDepot park in Miami. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. (FS1). Let’s analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Team USA vs. Japan odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.
Team USA has yet to face Japan in the WBC. Japan won the 1st 2 WBCs in 2006 and 2009. Team USA is the defending champ, winning its 1st title in 2017. These teams meet in the title game for the 1st time in WBC history.
Team USA advanced to the final with a resounding 14-2 victory over Cuba in the semifinals. Philadelphia SS Trea Turner was one of many offensive stars in that game, swatting a pair of home runs, coming on the heels of a go-ahead grand slam in the quarterfinals against Venezuela.
St. Louis 1B'Paul Goldschmidt also connected for a 2-run homer against Cuba, while Cardinals 3B Nolan Arenado collected a pair of hits, including a triple, a HBP, RBI and a pair of runs scored.