Puerto Rico vs Colombia Predictions, Expert Picks & How to Watch (WBC)
By Chris Amberley in News
Published:
- Puerto Rico is a -320 moneyline favorite over Colombia in Pool A play on Friday at the World Baseball Classic
- Puerto Rico won’t have stars Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa or Javier Baez due to insurance issues
- See my Puerto Rico vs Colombia predictions and expert picks, along with how to watch the WBC Game
We’ve got a jam packed scheduled at the World Baseball Classic on Friday, with six games on deck. One of those matchups features Puerto Rico vs Colombia in Pool A play, in a contest I project to be lower scoring than the market.
Keep reading for my Puerto Rico vs Colombia predictions and expert picks, plus the latest odds and how to watch this WBC game.
Puerto Rico vs Colombia How to Watch
First pitch for this Pool A clash is set for 6 pm ET from Hiram Bithorn Stadium, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. FS1 will handle broadcast duties in America, while Sportsnet will provide coverage across Canada.
Puerto Rico is one of the three teams in the WBC that is hosting games, but they’ve been hit hard by insurance issues preventing some of their biggest stars from playing – more on that later.
Puerto Rico vs Colombia Odds
As of Friday morning, the best place to wager on the Puerto Rico moneyline is at DraftKings. They’re offering a -320 line on that side, with Prediction Market Kalshi trading Colombia at 23 cent to win. That equals +335 odds in traditional sports betting terms, which is the longest price in market.
Total wise, the over/under sits at 9.5 at most commercial online sportsbooks, and I’ll be taking the under as my favorite Puerto Rico vs Colombia expert pick.
Readers who want to bet Colombia at Kalshi can click on the graphic below to claim SBD’s exclusive Kalshi referral code.
Odds as of March 6 at Kalshi and DraftKings. New customers can claim and get a bonus to bet on the World Baseball Classic.
Puerto Rico vs Colombia Predictions and Expert Picks
- Under 9.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
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The biggest news ahead of this game is not who’ll be on the field, but who won’t be. Puerto Rican stars Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez are all dealing with insurance issues that will prevent them from playing.
There are still plenty of big name MLB’ers on the squad however, which is why Puerto Rico sports the fifth shortest WBC odds. Nolan Arenado, Willi Castro and Heliot Ramos will lead the offensive charge, while Seth Lugo, Edwin Diaz and Fernando Cruz will anchor the pitching staff. Lugo will get the ball tonight, looking to bounce back from a shaky spring training so far.
The 2024 AL Cy Young Award runner-up has allowed 8 hits and 2 home runs in 5 innings with Kansas City this spring. Nevertheless, he’s been a very consistent MLB starter over the last few seasons, and I expect a fine showing tonight in front of a raucous home crowd.
Lugo owns a 3.51 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in his last five MLB seasons, logging over 609 innings of work.
The Colombian lineup meanwhile, consists of some well known names, but most are past their prime. Gio Urshela, Harold Ramirez and Jorge Alfaro are the most prominent bats, but those players are no longer full-time MLB’ers.
Colombia will give the ball to veteran Jose Quintana, and I have confidence the crafty left-hander can keep the Puerto Rico bats in check. Quintana held opposing hitters to a .241 average and .382 slugging percentage last year in Milwaukee, and while the strikeout numbers are down, he can still effectively mix up his speed and location to throw hitters off.
Another reason to be bullish on a low scoring game is the fact that both bullpens will be fresh. Once Lugo and Quintana exit the game, each side will have their top arms rested and ready to roll, which reduces the offensive ceiling of both countries. The Puerto Rico bullpen in particular is elite, with Cruz and Diaz fresh off dazzling 2025 MLB campaigns where they produced massive strikeout numbers.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.