USA vs. Japan World Baseball Classic odds: Trout’s Americans favoured over Ohtani-led Japan in WBC final

Team USA and Japan will meet in the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday night.

The pregame narrative: Japan won a thriller against Mexico in walk-off fashion to stay undefeated in the tournament and advance. USA’s win over Cuba didn’t require as much drama, but it did create a must-see showdown.

USA vs. Japan World Baseball Classic odds

Baseball odds as of 1:16 p.m. ET on 03/21/2023.

Japan survived its first real scare at the World Baseball Classic in the semifinals, setting up a championship showdown between the game’s biggest stars and Angels teammates Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.

Playing in Pool B, the Japanese had a fairly easy time navigating the group stage. The country toppled Australia, South Korea, the Czech Republic and China en route to a perfect 4-0 record and a plus-30 run differential.

The competition didn’t get much tougher in the quarterfinals when the nation sent Italy packing in a 9-3 rout. It’s impossible to win this tournament without facing a couple of stout squads, though, and Japan finally met one in Mexico.

The Mexicans led the semifinal game 5-4 entering the bottom of the ninth. Then, with runners on first and second with nobody out, Munetaka Murakami played hero after Shohei Ohtani led off the inning with a double.

The walk-off victory secured Japan its first World Baseball Classic final appearance since 2009.

The U.S., on the other hand, didn’t need quite as much drama to advance through the semis.

Team USA dismantled Cuba 14-2 thanks to a two-home run game from star Trea Turner. The Philadelphia Phillies infielder has been instrumental in the country’s success, swatting a tourney-high four homers thus far.

Turner was a key part in America’s quarterfinal win over Venezuela, too, clubbing a grand slam in the eighth inning to lead his country to a 9-7 win.

Team USA’s only loss at this tournament was an 11-5 defeat to Mexico. The country is looking to win a second consecutive title at the event.

The U.S. has covered a 1.5-run spread in four of its six games at the World Baseball Classic while Japan has covered as a +1.5 underdog in all of its contests.

Team USA and Japan have each gone over 10.5 runs in four of six matches.

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly will get the ball for the U.S. and Shota Imanaga of the Nippon Professional Baseball league will take the bump for Japan.

Ohtani, who last pitched on March 16 in the win over Italy, didn’t rule out being available out of the bullpen for tonight’s game.