{"id":394454,"date":"2026-02-12T15:00:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.northstargaming.ca\/admin\/nsgcms\/?p=394454"},"modified":"2026-02-12T15:00:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T20:00:30","slug":"world-baseball-classic-odds-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.northstargaming.ca\/admin\/nsgcms\/world-baseball-classic-odds-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"World Baseball Classic 2026 odds, schedule and rosters: Shohei Ohtani and Japan among the favourites, Canada is a long shot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The World Baseball Classic is back, with star-studded rosters across the board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The pre-tournament narrative:<\/strong> Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to secure Japan&#8217;s third WBC title at the last iteration of this tournament in 2023. Team USA top the odds board this time around, with Japan right behind. Canada is a long shot with 21 current or former MLB players on its roster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out the latest World Baseball Classic odds for the marquee event beginning on March 4th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"acq_only\"><strong>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/online.northstarbets.ca\/page?key=ej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNjY1NzMyJnA9MzExMjU%3D\">Join NorthStar Bets to start betting on the World Baseball Classic<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Baseball Classic odds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Country<\/strong><\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\"><strong>Odds<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>USA<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+115<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Japan<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+315<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Dominican Republic<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+400<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Puerto Rico<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+900<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Venezuela<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+1,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mexico<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+2,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chinese Taipei<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+4,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cuba<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+4,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Korea<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+4,000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Canada<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-right\" data-align=\"right\">+4,500<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"acq_only\"><strong>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/online.northstarbets.ca\/page?key=ej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNjY1NzMyJnA9MzExMjU%3D\">Check out the latest 2026 WBC odds<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WBC odds and favourites for 2026 tournament<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>USA World Baseball Classic odds and roster: +115<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Team USA is in pole position following its heartbreaking loss in 2023. The two best pitchers in baseball, Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes, top an elite pitching staff with bullpen arms Mason Miller and Gabe Spier locking down the backend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bobby Witt Jr. and Aaron Judge are among the biggest returning bats, with some new faces joining the ranks. Cal Raleigh, Gunnar Henderson, and Bryce Harper (who missed 2023 due to injury) make their WBC debuts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"acq_only\"><strong>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/online.northstarbets.ca\/page?key=ej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNjY1NzMyJnA9MzExMjU%3D\">Bet on the World Baseball Classic now<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Japan <strong>World Baseball Classic<\/strong> odds and roster: +315<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Los Angeles Dodgers superstars Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the biggest names on Japan&#8217;s roster. Ohtani will not be pitching this time around, slotting the four-time MVP as DH.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Teruaki Sato headlines those joining from Nippon Professional Baseball. The reigning Central League MVP winner hit 40 home runs with a .924 OPS last year. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Japan has won three of the last four WBCs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dominican Republic <strong>World Baseball Classic<\/strong> odds and roster: +400<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How&#8217;s this for a Big Three: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. The Dominican Republic boast some big bats, all of whom are proven performers in the clutch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The squad&#8217;s biggest weakness is its starting pitching, with Cristopher Sanchez, Luis Severino and Brayan Bello topping the rotation. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Canada WBC roster and odds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Canada is a long shot to win the WBC at 45-to-1.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cal Quantrill, Jameson Taillon, Michael Soroka and James Paxton (AKA Big Maple) top the rotation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Freddie Freeman will not play this tournament due to personal reasons. The Naylor brothers, Josh and Bo, lead the MLB bats with Abraham Toro and Tyler O&#8217;Neill also suiting up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"acq_only\"><strong>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/online.northstarbets.ca\/page?key=ej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNjY1NzMyJnA9MzExMjU%3D\">Check out the latest <strong>World Baseball Classic<\/strong> betting markets<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2026 World Baseball Classic schedule and format<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ca_only\">There are 20 national teams divided into four pool groups. A round-robin is played with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout stage. The knockout round (quarterfinal, semifinal, final) is single elimination<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pool games are held in Tokyo, San Juan, Houston, and Miami, with the final rounds in Houston and Miami.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins on March 4th, with the first match kicking off between Chinese Taipei and Australia at 10:00 p.m. ET in Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pool play begins on March 4th and runs through March 11th. The quarterfinals are on March 13-14, the semifinals are on March 15-16, and the final is on March 17th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Baseball Classic FAQ: Insurance claims, Team Canada<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When is Canada&#8217;s first <strong>World Baseball Classic<\/strong> game? <\/strong><br>Canada&#8217;s first game is on March 7th against Colombia in San Juan at 11:00 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ca_only\"><strong>Who is in Canada&#8217;s <strong>World Baseball Classic<\/strong> group?<\/strong><br>Canada is in Pool A, alongside Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama and Colombia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When were the <strong>World Baseball Classic<\/strong> rosters selected?<\/strong><br>The WBC rosters were finalized on Feb. 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why are some players unable to participate due to insurance issues?<\/strong><br>National Financial Partners handles requests for insurance coverage on a case-by-case basis. Certain players with the &#8220;chronic&#8221; label were denied coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some qualifiers: Spent at least 60 days on the IL during the previous season, were injured for two of their team\u2019s final three games the previous season, underwent at least two surgeries over the course of their career, or underwent surgery following the previous season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Which players weren&#8217;t allowed to play?<br><\/strong>Puerto Rico&#8217;s Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, Jose Berrios and Victor Caratini and Venezuela&#8217;s Jose Altuve and Miguel Rojas were left off rosters due to coverage denials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/online.northstarbets.ca\/page?key=ej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNjY1NzMyJnA9MzExMjU%3D\">Don&#8217;t miss out \u2014 bet on the <strong>World Baseball Classic<\/strong> now<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Can I bet on the World Baseball Classic at NorthStar Bets?<br><\/strong>Absolutely. NorthStar Bets provides pre-tournament World Baseball Classic futures on outright winners and more. Popular markets like moneylines and totals will be offered once the games start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"acq_only\"><strong>-&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/online.northstarbets.ca\/page?key=ej0xMzUyNDU3MiZsPTEzNjY1NzMyJnA9MzExMjU%3D\">Sign up to NorthStar Bets today<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The World Baseball Classic is back, with star-studded rosters across the board. The pre-tournament narrative: Shohei Ohtani struck out Mike Trout to secure Japan&#8217;s third WBC title at the last iteration of this tournament in 2023. Team USA top the odds board this time around, with Japan right behind. Canada is a long shot with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":394456,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sidebar_plugin_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[655,60],"tags":[130],"class_list":["post-394454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acqonly","category-mlb","tag-mlb"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>World Baseball Classic odds: 2026 schedule, betting favourites<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Check out the 2026 World Baseball Classic odds on Canada and more. 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