In what might be the most competitive matchup of the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals, Puerto Rico and Italy will face off at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at Daikin Park in Houston on FS1.
Puerto Rico begins as a short favorite after going 3-1 in pool play, losing out to Canada via a tiebreaker. Italy, meanwhile, won its pool with a 4-0 clip and a shocking upset over the United States.
Italy has never advanced past the quarterfinals, while Puerto Rico has reached the championship game twice.
Get my Puerto Rico vs. Italy WBC prediction for Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup:
Puerto Rico vs. Italy WBC Prediction: Saturday, March 14
- Italy moneyline (+100) – Pick made Thursday morning
According to the initial baseball odds, I’m backing the underdog in my Puerto Rico vs. Italy WBC prediction on Saturday.
If you’ve been following along, I’ve been high on Italy since the start of the tournament. I don’t know if I saw their shocking 8-6 upset over the USA coming, but I did suggest backing the run line and the over in that game.
Italy has so much left-handed power in its lineup. Vinnie Pasquantino put on a show in the final game of pool play, hitting three home runs in a win over Mexico. This came after Jac Caglianone and Kyle Teel launched homers against the USA.
So far in the WBC, only the Dominican Republic has hit more home runs and has a higher OPS than the Italians. This can be a difficult lineup to keep in check.
Interestingly enough, Puerto Rico is one of two teams yet to allow a homer in the WBC. They also lead all teams with a 1.22 ERA thus far.
Something has to give on Saturday, and I think Puerto Rico benefited from a weaker pool in a year where its best players didn’t make the roster due to insurance concerns.
The vibes are much different on the Italy side, as the players are taking espresso shots after each home run.
I’d make Italy a short favorite on Saturday, going for its first semifinal appearance.
Puerto Rico vs. Italy Odds for WBC Quarterfinals
- Puerto Rico moneyline: -115
- Italy moneyline: -105
- Total: TBD
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