MLB Casuals Rejoice: The 2026 World Baseball Classic is Here

MLB fans come in varying degrees. There’s the hardcore group, which wouldn’t dream of missing a spring training game, let alone a regular-season matinee. There’s the average fan, who does their best to catch most of their favorite team’s games. There’s also those of us who might tune into the occasional Yankees-Dodgers game and the World Series, if nothing else is on.

Every group (but especially the latter) gets a special treat this year: the sixth edition of the World Baseball Classic. From March 5 to 17, a sprawling tournament sees games played in Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and Japan between 20 national baseball teams. 

Riding momentum from the Winter Olympics, it’s hard to imagine a better-timed event to build excitement for the upcoming MLB season. The tournament was last held in 2023 and won by Japan, which defeated the United States 3-2 in a championship thriller.

The storylines write themselves. The U.S. is out for revenge, Japan is aiming to defend its title, and every other team just wants a piece of the action.

2026 World Baseball Classic Betting Odds

This year’s pool of challengers can be split into four categories. Check out the latest odds, grouped by tier, below. 

Odds are provided by BetOnline and current as of Feb. 26.

The Heavyweights

• United States (-110)
• Japan (+315)
• Dominican Republic (+375)

Genuine Contenders

• Puerto Rico (+1200)
• Venezuela (+1600)
• Mexico (+2000)
• South Korea (+3300)
• Canada (+3300)

Bracket Breakers

• Netherlands (+5000)
• Cuba (+5000)
• Italy (+6600)
• Colombia (+6600)
• Panama (+6600)

Bracket Fillers

• Israel (+10000)
• Great Britain (+10000)
• Chinese Taipei (+10000)
• Czechia (+15000)
• Australia (+15000)
• Nicaragua (+25000)
• Brazil (+25000)

2026 World Baseball Classic Schedule

Action begins with the group stage, which runs from March 4 through March 11. From there, we get into the meat of the tournament. Once the bracket is set, quarterfinals begin March 13, with the semifinals following on March 15 and the championship on March 17.

All times Eastern. Broadcast information subject to change.

Wednesday, March 4

• Chinese Taipei vs. Australia – 10 p.m. on FS1

Thursday, March 5

• Czechia vs. South Korea – 5 a.m. on FS1
• Australia vs. Czechia – 10 p.m. on FS1

Friday, March 6

• Japan vs. Chinese Taipei – 5 a.m. on FS1
• Cuba vs. Panama – 11 a.m. on FS2
• Netherlands vs. Venezuela – Noon on Tubi
• Mexico vs. Great Britain – 1 p.m. on FS1
• Puerto Rico vs. Colombia – 6 p.m. on FS1
• Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic – 7 p.m. on FS2
• United States vs. Brazil – 8 p.m. on FOX
• Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia – 10 p.m. on FS2

Saturday, March 7

• South Korea vs. Japan – 5 a.m. on FS1
• Colombia vs. Canada – 11 a.m. on FS2
• Nicaragua vs. Netherlands – Noon on Tubi
• Brazil vs. Italy – 1 p.m. on FOX App
• Panama vs. Puerto Rico – 6 p.m. on FS1
• Israel vs. Venezuela – 7 p.m. on FS2
• Great Britain vs. United States – 8 p.m. on FOX
• Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea – 10 p.m. on FS2

Sunday, March 8

• Australia vs. Japan – 6 a.m. on FS1
• Colombia vs. Cuba – Noon on FS2
• Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic – Noon on FOX
• Great Britain vs. Italy – 1 p.m. on Tubi
• Nicaragua vs. Israel – 7 p.m. on Tubi
• Panama vs. Canada – 7 p.m. on FS2
• Brazil vs. Mexico – 8 p.m. on FS1

Monday, March 9

• South Korea vs. Australia – 6 a.m. on FS1
• Dominican Republic vs. Israel – Noon on FS1
• Colombia vs. Panama – Noon on FS2
• Brazil vs. Great Britain – 1 p.m. on Tubi
• Cuba vs. Puerto Rico – 7 p.m. on FS1
• Venezuela vs. Nicaragua – 7 p.m. on FS2
• Mexico vs. United States – 8 p.m. on FOX

Tuesday, March 10

• Czechia vs. Japan – 6 a.m. on FS1
• Israel vs. Netherlands – 7 p.m. on FOX App
• Canada vs. Puerto Rico – 7 p.m. on Tubi
• Italy vs. United States – 9 p.m. on FS1

Wednesday, March 11

• Canada vs. Cuba – 3 p.m. on FS2
• Italy vs. Mexico – 7 p.m. on Tubi
• Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela – 8 p.m. on FS1

Friday, March 13

• Quarterfinal 1 – 6:30 p.m. on FS2
• Quarterfinal 2 – 8 p.m. on FOX

Saturday, March 14

• Quarterfinal 3 – 3 p.m. on FS1
• Quarterfinal 4 – 9 p.m. on FOX

Sunday, March 15

• Semifinal 1 – 8 p.m. on FS1

Monday, March 16

• Semifinal 2 – 8 p.m. on FS1 

Tuesday, March 17

• Championship – 8 p.m. on FOX

Betting on the World Baseball Classic

Is the U.S. unequivocally the best bet? The roster seems to suggest so. There are All-Stars, MVPs and Cy Young winners abound, with the most notable names including Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal. The depth is unreal. 

Japan is headlined by Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, plus fellow Major Leaguers Tomoyuki Sugano, Yusei Kikuchi and Seiya Suzuki. It was Ohtani who clinched victory for Japan in the 2023 WBC, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see him do it again.

The Dominican Republic’s outfield alone is loaded with MLB stars, including Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Oneil Cruz. The pitching crew features standouts like Cristopher Sánchez, Sandy Alcantara and Brayan Bello, and you can’t go without mentioning infielders Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado and Ketel Marte.

Other teams with stars worth a look include Venezuela’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Puerto Rico’s Seth Lugo and Mexico’s Randy Arozarena. 

Best Sportsbooks for the World Baseball Classic

Offshore sportsbooks are an excellent choice for the World Baseball Classic thanks to their variety of markets, favorable odds and valuable promotions. Market availability underscores the importance of betting early – wagering on the champion is fun, but there’s plenty of value to be had in picking the individual pool winners, potential tournament qualifiers and MVPs.

BetOnline is best for bettors who want a strong all-around experience. The sportsbook is also similar to the more popular regulated options, making for a potential smooth transition from stateside books to international operators.

High-stakes bettors should check out BookMaker, which offers betting limits upwards of $40,000. They’re also known for setting industry-standard betting lines, making it a worthy option to check first.

Lastly, there’s Heritage Sports, the more casual sports bettor’s best friend. Rather than offering massive bonuses and long-term value, Heritage prioritizes reduced juice, meaning you get more favorable betting lines on some of the most popular markets.