USA still WBC favorite in Vegas as tournament looms
With the 2017 World Baseball Classic just around the corner, the United States is still the Vegas favorite to take home the championship, with updated odds of 12:5 over at the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook on Monday.
The Dominican Republic, which earned its first-ever WBC title in 2013 by defeating Puerto Rico in the finals, is still pegged as the second favorite, at 13:5, with Japan - champion in both 2006 and 2009 - coming in behind the reigning champ at 7:2.
| Team | Opening Odds (12/14) | Current Odds (2/20) |
|---|---|---|
| USA | 3/1 | 12/5 |
| DOMINICAN REPUBLIC | 5/2 | 13/5 |
| JAPAN | 3/1 | 7/2 |
| VENEZUELA | 15/1 | 6/1 |
| SOUTH KOREA | 12/1 | 12/1 |
| PUERTO RICO | 10/1 | 15/1 |
| CUBA | 18/1 | 15/1 |
| MEXICO | 25/1 | 30/1 |
| NETHERLANDS | 25/1 | 40/1 |
| CANADA | 25/1 | 50/1 |
| COLOMBIA | 100/1 | 100/1 |
| ITALY | 60/1 | 100/1 |
| CHINESE TAIPEI | 80/1 | 100/1 |
| AUSTRALIA | 100/1 | 200/1 |
| ISRAEL | 100/1 | 200/1 |
| CHINA | 100/1 | 200/1 |
After failing to finish higher than fourth place in each of the first three installments of the WBC, which debuted in 2006, the United States is poised to send an unprecedentedly talented roster to this year's tournament, with Nolan Arenado, Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, Chris Archer, and Marcus Stroman among the MLB stars set to represent the U.S.