The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) begins quarter-final play with Team USA and Canada meeting on Friday at Daikin Park in Houston. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on FOX.
Let’s build our bankroll with our best World Baseball Classic picks & predictions for Friday, March 13th.
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Friday’s Best World Baseball Classic Picks & Predictions
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All bets are for 1 unit
United States (-900) vs. Canada (+590) | O/U 9.5 (-112/-108)
The United States lost to Italy in the final game of Pool B play, perhaps one of the most stunning upsets in World Baseball Classic history. Team USA is a roster chock full of Major League Baseball All-Stars, and Italy is just a scrappy team with a couple of MLB players and a lot of heart. The USA will look to bounce back in Houston, and it will have a new look.
The Americans made some pitching changes to the roster, as Tarik Skubal left the team, as expected, while Michael Wacha and Ryan Yarbrough also went back to spring training. Relievers Tyler Rogers and Will Vest replaced them, and Tim Hill joined the bullpen as well. There is talk that Matthew Boyd and Clay Holmes could return to their camps, too, so further changes might be coming.
One change that won’t be coming is in the starting rotation. Logan Webb allowed a solo home run with zero walks and six strikeouts across four innings in a win last Friday against Brazil. He gets the ball against Canada.
For Canada, it won Pool A at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, winning three of their four games, including a 3-2 victory over host Puerto Rico. The reward is facing an angry, deep and talented American side. That’s a tough assignment.
Michael Soroka is expected to toe the slab for Canada, although it’s not engraved in stone just yet. Canada is Italy-lite, as it has reached the quarter-finals for the first time, using a smattering of MLB players and a lot of heart. But the run is likely over on Friday night. Still, does Canada have enough to keep it within 4.5 runs? I think they do. Canada has been scrappy in this World Baseball Classic, and it will give the Americans a good game before finally bowing out.
As far as the total is concerned, this is the first game Team USA has had a total in the final digits, ever so slightly. Team USA bats should come alive, and a 7-3 kind of game might be on tap. Let’s go over on the total, but don’t get carried away.
I like the ‘either or’ batter props available on FanDuel Sportsbook. A good play that isn’t too expensive is going with Aaron Judge or Kyle Schwarber to hit at least one homer (-135). That seems like a strong play, as those two are the big bats in the middle of the lineup. Judge had two homers in Pool B play, while Schwarber had one, going 6-for-16 (.375).
Picks: Canada +4.5 (-102), Over 9.5 Runs (-110) & Aaron Judge or Kyle Schwarber Anytime Home Run (-135)
Bonus Bet: Dominican Republic (-1100) vs. Korea (+680) | O/U 10.5 (-110/-110)
As a bonus bet, let’s go with the Dominican Republic in the other quarter-final game. They rolled through Pool D play in Miami, going a perfect 4-0, while blasting all competition with a tournament-best +31 run differential.
Korea went 2-2 in Tokyo, and it just doesn’t have the horses to keep up with the likes of Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr.
Let’s go with the Dominican Republic to cover the run line, and we’ll go high on the total, with the MLB-laden roster doing most of the heavy lifting.
Picks: Dominican Republic -4.5 (-130) & Over 10.5 Runs (-110)
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