Pool C contains the two odds-on baseball betting favorites to win the 2017 World Baseball Classic; the United States and the Dominican Republic. And also Colombia and Canada, for fans who bet on baseball who like a bit more of a challenge.
USA +285
Dominican Republic +285
Canada +8050
Colombia +10000
The United States National Baseball team is ranked second in the WBSC World Rankings and won the Baseball World Cup four times. However, the Americans have yet to do better than 4th place – in 2009 – at the WBC. However, the US just may have put together arguably their greatest roster ever, including nothing but the best non-Jewish, non-Italian American players that the MLB has to offer and excluding Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw. Manager Jim Leyland pulled some strings and the result is a potential starting lineup that could include the likes of Ian Kinsler, Daniel Murphy, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Giancarlo Stanton, Buster Posey, Christian Yelich, Adam Jones, and Brandon Crawford.
The Dominican Republic national baseball team is the defending WBC champion but that’s not the only reason for fans who bet on baseball to back the Dominicans. Unlike Cuba, the Federación Dominicana de Béisbol had no qualms about calling up MLBers to its roster, such as Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco of the Pirates, Manny Machado and Welington Castillo of the Baltimore Orioles, Adrián Beltré of the Texas Rangers, Nelson Cruz of the Seattle Mariners, José Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays, Hanley Ramírez of the Boston Red Sox, and of course 2013 WBC MVP Robinson Cano also of the Mariners. And that’s what makes the Dominican Republic baseball betting favorites.
The Canadian national baseball team is currently ranked sixth in the world. As might be expect by fans who bet on baseball, Canada also draws heavily from the MLB as well as the MiLB. The Canadian team also has the only player with a good reason to play for a different country than the one he was born in. two-time all star Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves was born in California to Canadian parents. His mother passed away of melanoma when the first baseman was 10. Freeman decided to honor her memory by playing for Canada in the WBC.
The Colombia national baseball team will be making its WBC debut this year. The Colombians defeated Panama to qualify to the 2017 tournament. Pitchers Jose Quintana of the White Sox and Julio Teheran of the Atlanta Braves are Colombia’s hopes of pulling a baseball betting upset. Dilson Herrera (Reds), Giovanny Urshela (Cleveland Indians), and Jorge Alfaro (Philadelphia Phillies) also have MLB experience, and there are a few guys playing in the minors as well. Colombia won Baseball World Cup twice in 1947 and 1965 but it would seem as if the country’s baseball glory days long gone. Then again, the 2017 WBC could be the start of another golden era for Colombian baseball. Probably not, but one can never fully rule out beginner’s luck either.