Chinese Taipei vs Australia Picks, Odds & How to Watch WBC Opener on March 4

• Taipei is a -240 moneyline favorite over Australia in Pool C play at the World Baseball Classic
• Taipei starter Jo-Hsi Hsu allowed just one run in two WBC qualifier outings
• See my Taipei vs Australia picks, plus the latest odds and how to watch the WBC Game on March 4

The World Baseball Classic gets underway tonight, with the opening matchup pitting Chinese Taipei against Australia. Online sportsbooks are siding with Taipei as a -240 moneyline favorite, with most experts expecting them and Korea to battle for second place in Pool C behind Japan.

Taipei has advanced just once out of Pool play, despite playing in all six previous editions of the WBC. Australia meanwhile, made out of Pool play in 2023 for the first time, but their competition wasn’t nearly as strong as it is this time around.

Keep reading for my Taipei vs Australia picks, plus the latest odds and how to watch the WBC game on March 4.

Taipei vs Australia Picks

• Taipei Moneyline (-240 at DraftKings)

DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK

Offer

T&Cs

Sign Up Today & Receive Up to
$1,050 in Bonuses!

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $300 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 2/1/26. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 1/25/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.

LOCK IN PROMO

SIGNUP PROMO

SIGN UP
& GET $1,050

BONUS BETS + DEPOSIT BONUS

GET PROMO

I don’t love laying -240 on any baseball favorite, but at the time of writing only moneyline markets were posted for this matchup. As we get closer to first pitch, I’d be interested in the Taipei runline as my favorite Taipei vs Australia pick, as I believe there is a wide gap between these two teams.

Let’s start with Taipei. They recently won the gold medal at the senior level of the WBSC Premier12 tournament, ousting three-time WBC champion Japan along the way. The victory snapped Japan’s 27-game international winning streak, and highlighted the potential of this Taipei roster.

At the dish, they’ll feature Chieh-Hsien Chen, who won MVP honors by hitting .652 in the Premier12 Tournament. He’ll be joined by Yu Chang who made a names for himself at the 2024 WBC, and MLB prospects Hao-Yu Lee and Jonathon Long, who excelled in Triple-A last season.

The team is loaded with young talent, and features more players on the MLB’s organizational pipeline top-30 list than anyone else. They slashed .271/.401/.407 in WBC qualifying games, generating a ton of offense to earn their spot in the tournament.

On the mound however, is where their biggest advantage over Australia lies. Taipei will trot out Jo-Hsi Hsu, one of the biggest stars in Chinese baseball, and a future MLB’er. Hsu can touch 99mph with his fastball, and racked up 120 strikeouts in 114 innings in the CPBL last season. He finished the campaign with just 14 walks and a 2.07 ERA, and surrendered only one run in two WBC qualifiers.

Australia meanwhile, will counter with their top pitcher Alex Wells. The lefty had a short stint in MLB earlier this decade, but a lack of success forced him back to the Aussie pro baseball ranks. Wells finished his MLB tenure with a 6.60 ERA, and 1.60 WHIP over 46 innings, but has pitched much better versus soft competition since returning home.

At the dish, the Aussies feature former number one overall pick Travis Bazzana, who’s working his way up through the Cleveland farm system. So far his minor league numbers have been average, but he’ll be called upon to lead this team offensively. In all, 17 players are back from the 2023 team, but the ceiling isn’t especially high.

Australia is tied for the second fewest MLB affiliated players in the tournament with five, and their pitching will ultimately sink them. There is just not enough good arms to keep quality lineups at bay, and that will show up tonight.

I also think they’ll struggle to generate baserunners versus Hsu, who has the potential to be one of the breakout starts of this tournament. Australia has some of the longest WBC odds of any team, and boast the second longest odds to make it out of Pool C, ahead of only Czechia.

Taipei vs Australia Odds

As mentioned, the only market currently available for this matchup is the moneyline. DraftKings is offering the shortest price on Taipei at -240, with some books posting lines 10 to 20 cents higher. Predictions Markets are also weighing in on the action, and your best bet f you like Australia is to visit Kalshi.

They’re trading Australia to win at 32 cents, which equals +213 odds in traditional sports betting terms.

Odds as of March 4 at Kalshi and DraftKings. New customers can claim the Kalshi referral code and get a bonus to bet on the World Baseball Classic.

Taipei vs Australia How to Watch

First pitch between Taipei and Australia is scheduled for 10 pm ET, 7 pm PT from the Tokyo Dome, in Tokyo, Japan. FS1 will provide the broadcast coverage in America, while Sportsnet will handle Canadian duties.

The coverage will be highlighted by a star studded studio cast featuring Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez.