World Baseball Classic Odds: Panama-Italy prediction, pick, how to watch

Panama will take on Italy at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taiwan for a World Baseball Classic matchup on Friday night. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our WBC odds series, which includes a Panama-Italy prediction and pick, laid out below.

Panama opened their WBC with a convincing 12-5 victory over host Taiwan, but have lost their next two games. The Panama roster is littered with both former and current big leaguers, headlined by former Met Ruben Tejada. The pitching staff is made up of a collection of impressive arms.

Italy is led by Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza, easily the most successful of all WBC managers. As for the roster, tons of MLB talent and high-level prospects make up both the lineup and pitching staff for Italy. The most interesting name may be Matt Harvey, who was arguably the best pitcher in the game for a brief moment.

Here are the Panama-Italy WBC odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

2023 WBC Odds: Panama-Italy Odds

Panama: +1.5 (-110)

Italy: -1.5 (-110)

Over: 10.5 (-110)

Under: 10.5 (-110)

How To Watch Panama vs. Italy

TV: FOX Sports One

Stream: FOX Sports GO

Time: 11:00 PM ET/ 8:00 PM PT

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Panama Could Cover The Spread

Ruben Tejada, who was once in the news for breaking his leg on a hard Chase Utley slide, hit an RBI single in the opening game. Tejada spent parts of nine seasons in the MLB, hitting .250 with solid defense at shortstop. Catcher Ivan Herrera, who may be the heir apparent to Yadier Molina in St. Louis, is another name to watch. Herrera saw some time in the majors in 2022, but projects to be a solid catcher at his peak. Christian Bethancourt and Jonathan Arauz are the two biggest name current big leaguers in the lineup. Bethancourt belted 11 home runs in just 318 at-bats last season, splitting his time with the Athletics and Rays. Allen Cordoba spent 2017 in the big leagues with the Padres, bouncing around as minor league depth since that year.

Panama has not announced a starter as of publication, but the staff is full of experienced big-league arms. Justin Lawrence possesses a fastball that reaches into the triple-digits, and Jaime Barria pitched to a sub-3.00 ERA for the Angels last season.

Why Italy Could Cover The Spread

The electric Sal Frelick sits atop the Italy lineup, using his unique combination of speed and contact abilities to set the table for the rest of the team. Frelick projects to be a top-of-the-lineup catalyst when he reaches the big leagues. Vinnie Pasquantino, who debuted in 2022 with the Royals, is a force in the middle of the lineup. Pasquantino hit 10 home runs in just 258 at-bats last season, slashing .295/.383/.450. Nicky Lopez and David Fletcher make up the middle of Italy’s infield, both shining with their gloves and high contact rates. Lopez and Fletcher may lack significant power, but both have hit .300 across an MLB season.

Besides Harvey, Italy’s pitching staff is made up of mostly fringe big leaguers and high-level prospects. Lefty Joe LaSorsa, who was the Tampa Bay Rays Minor League Reliever of the Year in 2022, escaped a high-pressure spot with a strikeout of Yoan Moncada in the team’s opening victory. Andre Pallante is knocking on the door of being a big league regular after pitching 108 innings in his debut season, with his upper 90s fastball the main threat.

Final Panama-Italy Prediction & Pick

This will be Panama’s last hope to try and advance to the next round after allowing 13 runs yesterday.

Final Panama-Italy Prediction & Pick: Panama +1.5 (-110)