It’s the World Baseball Classic Final, as Team USA is set to face Japan on Tuesday, March 21. First pitch is scheduled for 7 pm ET while airing on FS1. USA enters this game as a -135 moneyline favorite with the total set at 10. How will this one play out? Let’s dive into the USA vs. Japan predictions below.
USA vs. Japan Odds
- Moneyline: USA -135 / Japan +110
- Total: 10
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. New to DK? Check out our DraftKings Sportsbook Review to learn how to bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets!
Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, Mar. 21
- Time: 7 pm ET
- Location: LoanDepot Park — Miami, FL
- TV: FS1
Japan Game Log
- Mar 9: Win vs. China 8-1
- Mar 10: Win vs. Korea 13-4
- Mar 11: Win vs. Czech Republic 10-2
- Mar 12: Win vs. Australia 7-1
- Mar 16: Win vs. Italy 9-3
- Mar 20: Win vs. Mexico 6-5
USA Game Log
- Mar 11: Win vs. Great Britain 6-2
- Mar 12: Loss vs. Mexico 11-5
- Mar 13: Win vs. Canada 12-1
- Mar 15: Win vs. Colombia 3-2
- Mar 18: Win vs. Venezuela 9-7
- Mar 19: Win vs. Cuba 14-2
USA vs. Japan Predictions
Japan pulled off a dramatic comeback win over Mexico last night, earning the right to play Team USA in the World Baseball Classic Final. Japan has done the job with pitching throughout most of the tournament, owning a team 2.33 ERA — which is the best in the WBC. Lefty Shota Imanaga will get the start on Tuesday, and he won the Japan equivalent of the Cy Young award multiple times. It will likely be all hands on deck for Japan, as Shohei Ohtani and Yu Darvish will probably make pitching appearances as well.
The United States will look to win with an All-Star lineup that has scored 9+ runs in three of its last four WBC games. Merrill Kelly of the Diamondbacks will start on the mound for Team USA. The Americans haven’t played since Sunday, and they didn’t need to deploy many of their high-end bullpen resources in a 14-2 win over Cuba. That means relievers like Kendall Graveman, Ryan Pressley, and Devin Williams should be good to go.
A fresh crop of All-Star relievers combined with an absolute force of a lineup should propel Team USA to victory in the World Baseball Classic Final.
The Pick: Team USA moneyline | -135 at DraftKings Sportsbook