Written by: Danny Burke
Last Update: Sat Mar 14, 2026, 5:04 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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Below, we'll break down the schedule, odds and a brief prediction for each matchup.
Matchup Information
Location: LoanDepot Park, Miami, Florida
Date: Friday, March 13, 2026
First Pitch: 6:30 PM ET
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | +5.0 (-112) | +575 | Over 11.0 (-121) |
| Dominican Republic | -5.0 (-118) | -1300 | Under 11.0 (-109) |
The Dominican Republic was my pick to win the World Baseball Classic, and they've looked every bit the part so far. Their lineup is loaded with star power, featuring the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Julio Rodríguez and Ketel Marte, just to name a handful.
Offense was never expected to be an issue for the DR, but pitching was and still remains a slight concern. Their rotation is led by former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara along with Brayan Bello and Luis Severino, all capable arms when they're pitching to their potential.
Their best pitcher, however, is the one taking the mound against Korea. Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who is coming off a stellar 2025 season with the Phillies. You wouldn't have guessed that based on his first WBC outing, though, as he allowed three earned runs on six hits in just 1.1 innings. He did finish with four punchouts in that appearance, though.
I have no doubt that Sanchez will settle in and deliver a much sharper performance this time around, helping guide his team to a win and a spot in the semifinals.
Matchup Information
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, Texas
Date: Friday, March 13, 2026
First Pitch: 8:00 PM ET
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | -4.5 (-121) | -1100 | Over 10.0 (-119) |
| Canada | +4.5 (-109) | +525 | Under 10.0 (-111) |
How about another neighborly matchup between these bordering countries? Both teams went 3-1 in pool play to reach the quarterfinals. Canada earned wins over Colombia (8-2), Puerto Rico (3-2) and Cuba (7-2), with its lone loss coming against Panama (4-3).
On the other side, the United States looked firmly in control after winning its first three games – a 15-5 victory over Brazil, a 9-1 win against Great Britain and a 5-3 triumph over Mexico. Things got dicey in their final pool matchup against Italy, though, as the Americans fell behind early.
Somehow, United States manager Mark DeRosa appeared unaware that his team still needed to push for a win in order to comfortably secure a spot in the knockout round. The U.S. mounted a valiant comeback attempt, but ultimately fell 8-6.
Fortunately for them, the tiebreakers worked in their favor. Italy – led by a three-home run performance from Vinnie Pasquantino – went on to crush Mexico 9-1, which helped secure the United States' spot in the quarterfinals.
Now, we get this North American rivalry back in action tonight.
Logan Webb takes the mound for the United States after an impressive showing in his 2026 WBC debut against Brazil, where he struck out six batters over four innings while allowing just one hit and one run.
Opposing him will be Michael Soroka, who tossed 3.0 innings in his start against Colombia, surrendering four hits and one run while recording two strikeouts.
We'll see how Soroka holds up against a U.S. lineup that's slashing .293/.430/.514 so far in the tournament. Canada, meanwhile, is hitting .244/.350/.363 through pool play.
Considering what transpired in their final pool game, I expect the United States to come out even more motivated than usual. They'll face a familiar arm in Soroka while countering with a strong weapon of their own in Webb.
I'd lean toward the United States covering the runline, though laying that many runs in baseball is never the most comfortable position. Another angle worth considering is targeting Canada's team total under.
Webb should be able to navigate this Canadian lineup effectively, and he may even be allowed to work a bit deeper into the game now that the pitch limit increases to a maximum of 80 in the quarterfinal round.
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Danny Burke is a betting analyst with a decade of sports media experience. He got his start at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sharing picks on the local ESPN affiliate. After college, he hosted shows for VSiN in Las Vegas before returning to Chicago to launch 'Rush Hour', the first daily sports betting show from an Illinois casino. He also co-hosted 'Props and Locks' on Fox32’s Bears pregame show and ran 'Bet On, Chicago' on WLS-AM 890.
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