The Netherlands will play the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic on Sunday, March 8, in Miami, Florida. The game will start at 12 p.m. ET and can be streamed live on FOX.
Here's my Netherlands vs Dominican Republic WBC prediction and World Baseball Classic picks for March 8, 2026.
Netherlands vs Dominican Republic Prediction
- My Pick: Dominican Republic -6.5
My Netherlands vs Dominican Republic best bet is on the Dominican Republic to cover the spread.
Netherlands vs Dominican Republic Odds
| Netherlands Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -125 | 11.5 -125 / +100 | +950 |
| Dominican Republic Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 +100 | 11.5 -125 / +100 | -2500 |
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Netherlands vs Dominican Republic World Baseball Classic Picks
Netherlands Betting Preview
The Dutch are projected to be the third-best team in Pool D, with a +250 price to advance past the pool stage – ranking behind just the Dominican Republic and Ronald Acuña Jr.-led Venezuela.
Pool D also features Israel and Nicaragua, both of whom are extreme long shots to advance.
In a top-heavy group, the Dutch will likely need to prevail over Venezuela if they are to fall to the Dominican Republic on Sunday.
What makes for a thrilling backstory is that the Netherlands defeated its Sunday opponent twice in the 2009 WBC, ultimately eliminating the Dominican Republic from contention. The Dutch took down a loaded Dominican squad without having a single player on its roster playing above the Double-A level professionally.
The Netherlands is no stranger to playing the underdog role, having now played in all six Classics and twice making it to the semifinals in 2013 and 2017 against all odds.
Andruw Jones took over as manager for the Netherlands in 2026 after previously serving as one of the team’s bench coaches. Jones hails from Curaçao, which is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is why so much of the team's roster is made up of fellow Curaçaoans.
The former Atlanta Braves center fielder and recent Hall of Fame inductee jumped at the opportunity to serve as manager for the Netherlands in this year’s Classic, and has made a major impact in regard to roster construction.
The 10-time Gold Glove winner recruited plenty of MLB talent to play for the Netherlands in the 2026 Classic, some of whom include Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, and Tigers closer Kenley Jensen.
In unfortunate news for the Dutch, Jurickson Profar was suspended for the entire upcoming MLB season after testing positive for a banned substance. The Braves outfielder has now been deemed ineligible to compete in the 2026 Classic.
The Netherlands’ roster also features former big leaguer Didi Gregorius and Red Sox utility player Ceddanne Rafaela. Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Druw Jones — the son of the Netherlands’ manager — is expected to receive some at-bats off the Dutch bench as well.
While the Netherlands’ lineup boasts a ton of great hitters, its pitching staff is a little worrisome, especially in Pool D, which features substantial firepower. I expect Kenley Jensen to get a ton of bullpen work, but it's the starting rotation that scares me the most.
Antwone Kelly, a starting pitching prospect in the Pirates organization with a 100 MPH fastball and an elite change-up, is expected to be the Netherlands' ace. Kelly has yet to see action in the Pittsburgh organization past its Double-A squad, posting a 3.00 ERA in 2025.
Beyond Kelly, there are a lot of question marks in the Netherlands’ starting rotation, which is not a very good sign when playing a team of the Dominican Republic's caliber on Sunday.
Dominican Republic Betting Preview
The Dominican Republic looks to win its first World Baseball Classic title since 2013, when it completed an undefeated run in the tournament and prevailed over Puerto Rico in the championship.
In 2026, the Dominican Republic has a second WBC championship on its mind, ranking third in odds to prevail behind just the United States and Japan.
Prior to the start of this year’s Classic, I took a shot on the Dominican Republic at +450 to win the 2026 WBC, so I am now heavily invested in the success of this club.
In very exciting news, former Cardinals first baseman and Hall of Famer Albert Pujols was brought in as manager for the Dominican Republic ahead of the 2026 Classic, succeeding 2023 manager Rodney Linares.
Per usual, Pujols’ club is extremely star-studded with overwhelming talent all over the diamond, which is precisely why I thought +450 was a great price to buy in on the Dominican Republic to win its first WBC title in over 10 years.
One-through-nine, it's tough to argue that anyone has a more stacked lineup than that of the Dominican Republic. Despite trailing both the United States and Japan on the futures odds board, many have speculated that this Dominican club boasts the most talent in WBC history.
The offensive firepower is crazy, starting with Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who nearly led Toronto to a World Series this past season before losing Game 7 in devastating fashion. The rest of Pujols’ infield features the likes of Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Padres third baseman Manny Machado, and Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo.
The Dominican Republic has some depth as well, with Rays third baseman Junior Caminero expected to start as the team’s designated hitter.
The Dominican outfield is even more terrifying, featuring three perennial all-stars in Julio Rodriguez, Juan Soto, and (my personal favorite) San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. Pirates young superstar Oneil Cruz is also available off the bench.
At catcher, Pujols is starting Agustin Ramirez. The 23-year old is coming off a massive season for the Marlins with an impressive 21 home runs and 67 RBIs.
The pitching staff for this Dominican club is just as elite, with Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez as the rotation’s ace. The rest of the Dominican Republic’s rotation includes some notable MLB names, like Sandy Alcantara, Luis Severino, and Brayan Bello.
It is no surprise that the team’s bullpen is just as loaded, including several MLB relievers — Gregory Soto, Abner Uribe, and Camilo Doval, to name a few.
Pool D should be a walk in the park for the Dominican Republic as Pujols’ bunch has its eyes on a second WBC championship in 2026.
How To Bet My Netherlands vs Dominican Republic Pick
Beyond the Netherlands’ aforementioned success, having defeated the Dominican Republic twice in 2013, a matchup featuring two Hall-of-Fame managers should make for must-watch television.
There is no doubt that the Netherlands’ manager Andruw Jones did a phenomenal job recruiting talent for the 2026 Classic, landing several Curaçao-born players who had not previously played for the Dutch in the WBC.
Nevertheless, the Netherlands unfortunately meet Pool D’s top dog, the Dominicans, on Sunday, and I have a tough time envisioning the Dutch hanging around for very long.
It's no surprise that I love the Dominican Republic in this spot, holding several futures’ tickets on Pujols’ club to run the table.
I will be backing the Dominicans to cover the run line in Sunday morning’s Pool D showdown.
Pick: Dominican Republic -6.5
