Nicaragua and Venezuela face off on Tuesday in the World Baseball Classic at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
Nicaragua Betting Preview
It has been a disappointing WBC for Nicaragua, who has lost all three of the games they have played in. To start pool play they faced off against Puerto Rico and they were defeated 9-1. In Game 2 it wasn’t any better against Israel as they were defeated 3-1. The pitching was better in that game, but the offense still couldn’t get anything going. On Monday, against the Dominican Republic, the offense again was an issue and they lost 3-1. They finished with only five hits. Steven Layton was the top player, finishing with one hit and one run. The pitching will need to be solid in this game, but if they want any chance, the offense needs to step up.
Venezuela Betting Preview
On the other side of this matchup is Venezuela, who sits with a 2-0 record so far in the World Baseball Classic. Venezuela opened up a 5-1 victory over the Dominican Republic. The offense looked solid, but even more impressive was the pitching. On Sunday they faced off against Puerto Rico, and the offense scored nine runs and that was enough to win by three. The pitching left a little to be desired, but they ended up winning by three. Salvador Perez had a strong game, finishing with four hits, three runs, and five RBIs. If the offense has a big game here, they should have no issue winning here.
Shane’s Free Pick
Nicaragua has played three games so far in the World Baseball Classic and they have only managed three runs. Venezuela in the first game got some excellent pitching, and this Nicaragua team is going to really struggle to score in this game. Look for Nicaragua to max out at one run, and this game is going to be a blowout victory for Venezuela. Back Venezuela -7.5 to cash here.