Puerto Rico Vs USA Odds, Free Pick & TV Info

Posted by Henry Watkins on Wednesday,March 22, 2017 12:44, EDT in

MLB Baseball News

The end of the World Baseball Classic is a sign that the MLB season is right around the corner, but those fans who dismissed this tournament as nothing more than an extension of the pre-season have missed some very good baseball indeed. Perhaps part of the problem that fans, at least those in the US, have with the WBC is that the Americans have never really performed that well. The WBC has been played 3 times now, and it has been either Japan or the Dominican Republic who came away as winners.

That is about to change this year, though, as the US will be making their first appearance in the final versus a Puerto Rico team that has gone through the tournament without taking a loss. These two teams met up in the group stages and served up a bit of a classic, with Puerto Rico running out eventual 6-5 winners. If we can get a game half as good as that one, then it will be well worth watching and wagering on. The US are coming in as the favorites to win it all. Find the latest MLB betting run lines here.

Here’s A Closer Look At The Puerto Rico Vs USA Odds, Free Pick & TV Info

When: Wednesday, March 22 at 9 PM EST
Where: Dodger Stadium, LA
TV: MLB Network
Live Stream: MLB.TV
WBC Odds: TBA

Why bet on the Puerto Rico

There were not a lot of people who thought that Puerto Rico would get anywhere near the final, but wins against the US and the Dominican Republic quickly changed that perception. They blew through the pool stage, outscoring their opposition 21-8 before taking out the Netherlands in the semi-final, winning that one 4-3 in 11 innings. They are coming into the final as a 1.5-run underdog, which is a label that is not likely to worry this group, especially since they have been wearing it since Day 1. Seth Lugo will be taking the mound for Puerto Rico in the final, and will be looking for a performance similar to the one he put in against the US in the pool stage. He allowed 3 ER in 5 2/3 innings in that one.

Why bet on the USA

The US has never made it to the final of the WBC, so this is new territory for them. Make no mistake about it, though, these guys will want to put on a show in front of what is sure to be a very pro-USA crowd in Dodger Stadium. This team has already had to undergo a little bit of pressure in this tournament, as their final game in the pool stage versus the Dominican Republic was essentially a knockout game. They won that one in impressive fashion, winning 6-3, and then followed that up with another big win over Japan in the semi-final. It will be Marcus Stroman who will start for the US on Wednesday night, and while he is 0-1 so far, he has only allowed 4 ER through 9.1 innings.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The US will be looking for some revenge in the final, and with Marcus Stroman continuing to bring the heat, I think they will get it in yet another close game.