The USA baseball team electrified fans with a thrilling 7-5 win in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday night, coming back to defeat Venezuela 7-5 in the quarterfinals. They will now face off against Cuba in the first matchup between the two teams in the World Baseball Classic. Bettors are looking to cash in on the Team USA run, so let’s take a look at the USA-Cuba betting odds, spread & best bet.
USA-Cuba Odds, Spread & Best Bet: World Baseball Classic Preview
USA-Cuba Betting Odds, Spread & Over/Under
- Spread: USA -1.5 (-195), Cuba +1.5 (+165)
- Moneyline: USA -410, Cuba +330
- Over/Under 10
Team USA boats the most talented lineup in the World Baseball Classic field centered around the likes of Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, etc. On Saturday, it was No. 9 hitter, Trea Turner, who stole the show with a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning.
But the team lacks that same dominance on the pitching end, which has led to some hard decisions for manager Mark DeRosa throughout the tournament. DeRosa will turn to veteran Adam Wainwright against Cuba. Wainwright started USA’s first game of the tournament against Great Britain, allowing one run over four innings pitched. He has developed a solid reputation as a big game pitcher during his 16-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals and is coming off another solid campaign in the 2022 season.
The Cubans will be going with left-hander Roenis Elias in the game. Elias has battled injuries throughout his career, currently under contract with the Chicago Cubs. He pitched 7.2 innings for the Seattle Mariners last season but has not logged significant MLB time since splitting time between the Mariners and Washington Nationals in the 2019 season. He had a 7.71 ERA in Spring Training before joining Team Cuba for the World Baseball Classic.
Cuba will certainly hope their lineup consisting of Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada, and Yoenis Cespedes can get to Wainwright and ease the pressure off of Elias. Cuban players who defected are now allowed to represent the country, opening the door for MLB players to join the team for the WBC.
“It was null,” Elías said of his chances of playing for Cuba when he came stateside, per Marquee Sports Network. “I knew how the political [environment] was. I never thought that MLB and the Cuban [Baseball] Federation would ever come to an agreement.”
Even with the roster of MLB players, Cuba simply lacks the same talent as the American side and has a clear pitching disadvantage with Elias taking the ball against such a potent lineup. The USA-Cuba odds, spread and betting line shows the American as clear favorites, and they should show why on Saturday night. But with such a steep price on the Americans, it may be hard to find a favorable line. Instead, bettors should lock in the over on USA’s team total.
Best USA-Cuba Bet: USA Over 6.5 Runs (+100 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
