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The World Baseball Classic begins with the opening pitch on March 5th in Tokyo and Sportsbook.com is giving you all the odds you're looking for.
While a lot of fans think this event takes away from Spring Training, there is no denying the popularity it enjoys worldwide and the great publicity it brings to MLB and baseball in general.
Taking all that into consideration, Sportsbook.com has decided to become the odds leader, giving you wagering opportunities in each pool and the winner overall.
Stay tuned to Sportsbook.com throughout the WBC for all the game odds and check back next week to find out how betting on the Classic can win you Opening Day tickets at the new Yankee Stadium or any other ballpark you choose.
Here is a brief preview of the World Baseball Classic, with more to follow as we get closer to the opening pitch.
Dominican Republic 7:5
Cardinals' first baseman Albert Pujols will not be able to play due to his elbow injury but this is the most talented team assembled for the tournament. The hitters include Alex Rodriguez (minus PED's), David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano and others.
The pitching staff is young, but high end, with Edinson Volquez, Francisco Liriano and Ervin Santana. Another thing going in their favor is they're in an easier pool than in 2006 when they were matched against Cuba and Venezuela.
The Dominican Republic is the Pool D favorite (1:4) in San Juan over Puerto Rico (5:2), Panama (10:1) and the Netherlands (40:1). And they hope to prove they're the best baseball players in the world by advancing past the Final Four this time around.
United States 8:5
USA is basically the co-favorite for this event but do they deserve it? Certainly they have a plethora of young stars like Grady Sizemore, David Wright, Dustin Pedroia, and Evan Longoria to go along with mainstay veterans like Derek Jeter.
The pitching is also very strong on paper with Roy Oswalt, Jake Peavy and Justin Verlander as starters. USA will also have home advantage for the second round in Miami and the final round in Los Angeles if they make it that far.
USA is the heavy Pool C favorite (1:8) in Toronto over Venezuela (4:1), Canada (12:1) and Italy (40:1). However, they must take this event a lot more seriously than they did in 2006 when they didn't even make the Final Four.
Japan 6:1
The defending champions of the WBC are the heavy 2:5 favorite to win Pool A in Japan. They'll compete against Chinese Taipei (5:2), Korea (5:1) and China (20:1).
The team only has a few MLB players on the roster highlighted by Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki. However, the Japan League stars can compete with anyone as proved in 2006 and no country takes more pride in their performance in this event.
Cuba 8:1
Just like Japan surprised by winning the Classic the last time around, Cuba also shined by defeating the Dominican Republic before losing in the finals.
Cuba's roster is even more unknown to MLB than Japan because their guys only play in their country. However, Cuba is the Pool B favorite (1:4) in Mexico City over Mexico (2:1), Australia (20:1) and South Africa (40:1).
Other Contenders
Puerto Rico (12:1) gets home field advantage in the opening round and they should at least advance as the runner-up.
Venezuela (10:1) certainly had their chances hurt when Johan Santana decided not to participate.
Korea (15:1) surprisingly made the Final Four last in 2006 and had the best ERA of any team. Mexico (15:1) is another team to watch out for with their home field advantage in the opening round.
Betting on the World Baseball Classic is available now at Sportsbook.com
Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
