A spot in the World Baseball Classic championship game will be on the line when Venezuela and Italy meet during Monday’s semifinal battle at 8 p.m. ET in loanDepot Park in Miami on FS1.
Both teams are looking for their first appearance in the WBC championship game. Italy is in the semifinals for the first time, while Venezuela last reached the semifinals in 2009.
Venezuela is a solid favorite in this matchup, but Italy is powered by espresso shots and hasn’t lost a game in this year’s WBC.
Check out my Venezuela vs. Italy WBC prediction for Monday’s semifinal matchup:
Venezuela vs. Italy WBC Prediction: Monday, March 16
- Venezuela moneyline (-190)
Based on the latest baseball odds, I’d recommend backing Venezuela’s moneyline value for their semifinal matchup on Monday.
Single-elimination baseball can lead to chaos, and I have been high on Italy for this entire tournament. However, I think the Italians’ magical run ends here, as Venezuela is the much better team.
The Venezuelans knocked off the defending champs in the quarterfinals, earning an 8-5 victory. Ronald Acuña Jr. crushed a leadoff homer off Yoshinobu Yamamoto before Japan quickly responded to take an early lead.
Maikel Garcia, Acuña’s cousin, trimmed the deficit with a two-run homer in the fifth before Wilyer Abreu delivered a three-run blast.
Italy, meanwhile, jumped out to an 8-2 lead after four innings in its quarterfinal matchup and never looked back. The Italians drove in all eight RBIs via their No. 4 through No. 8 hitters.
After last night’s 2-1 battle in the other semifinal matchup between the USA and Dominican Republic, tonight’s contest should be a shootout. Italy’s left-handed heavy lineup has been the better offense in this tournament, but Venezuela projects to be just as good.
I’m willing to pay the steep vig to take the superior side, but Venezuela’s run line (-125 for -1.5) could also be worth a look.
This game feels like a 6-4 or 7-5 affair.
Venezuela vs. Italy Odds for WBC Semifinals
- Venezuela moneyline: -190
- Italy moneyline: +155
- Total: 10.5
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