USA vs Japan Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for World Baseball Classic Final (Hitters Stay Hot at the Plate in Miami)

USA vs Japan Game Info

• 2023 World Baseball Classic Final
• USA (5-1) vs. Japan (6-0)
• Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023
• Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: loanDepot Park -- Miami, FL
• Coverage: FOX Sports 1

The 2023 World Baseball Classic concludes on Tuesday with an exciting final clash between USA and Japan. USA took down Cuba by a score of 14-2 in the semifinals on Sunday behind the efforts of Trea Turner and Paul Goldschmidt. The two combined for 3 home runs, 8 RBI and 4 runs scored in the win.

Meanwhile, Japan came out on top in a thrilling 7-6 win over Mexico on Monday. Japan was down 3-0 before Matasaka Yoshida hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning. Mexico retook the lead before Japan rallied to walk it off in the ninth inning thanks to Munataka Murakami's two-run double.

USA vs Japan Odds & Spread

• All WBC betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: USA: (-132) | JAPAN: (+108)
• Spread: USA: -1.5 (+120) | JAPAN: +1.5 (-148)
• Total: 10.5 -- Over: (-106) | Under: (-114)

USA enters this contest as a slight favorite on the moneyline per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 10.5 runs, with the under favored at -114 odds.

USA vs Japan Prediction & Pick

More than bragging rights are up for grabs on Tuesday as Japan is looking to win its third World Baseball Classic title, while USA is aiming to become back-to-back champions. This game is filled with intriguing storylines, including MLB teammates Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani meeting head-to-head.

Japan enters with an advantage on the mound given it has posted a WBC-best 2.33 ERA so far. Left-hander Shota Imanaga draws the start, but don't rule out the idea of seeing Yu Darvish or Shohei Ohtani later in the game. Imanaga has given up only 1 run in 4.0 innings of work this tournament.

On the other side, USA has a clear edge at the plate with its WBC-best slugging percentage (.567) and 10 home runs. The lineup is stacked from top to bottom with batters capable of leaving the yard with a single swing. That's going to make a difference in what should be a high-scoring showdown.

Final Score Prediction: USA: 7 | Japan: 5

USA vs Japan Best Bet

The offensive display from both of these teams in the knockout stage has been unreal. USA has tallied 23 runs across the two games, while Japan checks in with 15 runs in that span. Over 10.5 runs have been scored in a combined eight of the last 10 games involving either USA or Japan as well.

The firepower in this game is off the charts, so sit back and root for the stars to show up in Miami.

Bet: Over 10.5 Total Runs (-106)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.