Venezuela will play Israel in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday, March 7, in Miami, Florida.
The game will start at 7 p.m. ET and can be streamed live on FS2.
Venezuela is a -1800 moneyline favorite, while Israel is a +900 moneyline underdog.
Here's my Israel vs Venezuela prediction and World Baseball Classic picks for March 7, 2026.
Israel vs Venezuela Prediction
- My Pick: Venezuela ML as Parlay Piece | Venezuela Spread
My Israel vs Venezuela best bet is on Venezuela to win their second game of this tournament tonight.
Israel vs Venezuela Odds
| Israel Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
NA | NA | +900 |
| Venezuela Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
NA | NA | -1800 |
Israel vs Venezuela Kalshi Odds
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Israel vs Venezuela World Baseball Classic Picks
Israel Betting Preview
Although Israel shocked everyone in their 2017 WBC debut by winning every game in Group D against Korea, Chinese Taipei, and the Netherlands, success this time would mean a third-place finish in Pool D, behind the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
While Israel is expected to lose to Venezuela tonight and the Dominican Republic on Monday, they might have enough to defeat Nicaragua on Sunday and the Netherlands on Tuesday.
With an experienced coaching staff led by manager Brad Ausmus, with Kevin Youkilis and Mark Loretta as hitting and third-base coaches, Israel has been able to attract talent over the years.
In this Classic, they will feature a roster that includes 12 players with major-league experience, such as Dean Kremer, Harrison Bader, Tommy Kahnle, Garrett Stubbs, and Spencer Horwitz, as well as three well-regarded prospects in RJ Schreck, Charlie Beilenson, and Cole Carrigg.
Schreck has generated buzz after a 2025 season in which the outfielder posted an .854 OPS with 18 homers across four levels in the minors.
Ben Simon will be the starting pitcher for this opener against Venezuela. He's a minor league player with the Mets (Double-A) who could struggle to tame the experienced rival offense.
Venezuela Betting Preview
Venezuela has been one of the main victims of the infamous WBC insurance issues, and manager Omar Lopez has sounded off on the matter.
Top players such as Jose Altuve, Anthony Santander, Jose Alvarado, Carlos Narvaez, and Miguel Rojas were among those who weren't cleared to play.
One of the key pieces of the rotation, Pablo Lopez, and another pitcher, Oddanier Mosqueda, got injured before the tournament. Others, like Robert Suarez, cited personal reasons for declining the invitation.
Despite all that, Venezuela will still be able to field a strong team and should make it through the quarterfinals out of Pool D alongside the Dominican Republic.
The real challenge will be to go further, as Venezuela has fared poorly in this competition compared to other powerful baseball countries, reaching the semifinals only once (2009).
Yesterday, Venezuela defeated the Netherlands 6-2 with a lineup featuring Ronald Acuña Jr., Salvador Perez, Luis Arraez, Maikel Garcia, and the Contreras brothers.
Today, Enmanuel De Jesus will be the starter against Israel. The left-handed pitcher had brief stints in the majors with the Red Sox, Giants, and Marlins from 2020 to 2023, and has played in Korea and his country's winter league in recent years.
He just signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers and reported to Spring Training, but this could be an even better audition to prove he belongs back in MLB.
How To Bet My Israel vs Venezuela Pick
Jackson Chourio missed Friday's opener for Venezuela due to a bruised left hand, but could be added to the lineup for Saturday, which could bolster an offense that did not produce all that much in exhibition games (and a sputtering offense has been one of the recurrent issues for the country in the tournament's history).
That is particularly meaningful, given Venezuela's rotation is not the team's strong suit. De Jesus and the bullpen will need all the support they can get. Eugenio Suarez could also get a chance to start and provide power at the plate.
With Acuña and Perez leading the way, the Venezuelan players should build on their early success as they prepare to square off against the Dominican Republic on Wednesday with their sights on Pool D's top position to avoid facing another title candidate in the quarterfinals.
While the moneyline price is steep, I don't mind it as a parlay piece. Moreover, I'll likely hop on the spread once that line drops.
Pick: Venezuela ML as Parlay Piece | Venezuela Spread
