The World Baseball Classic odds for this year’s event are extremely close, so close in fact that the defending champion is only third in the race for the status of “pre-tournament favorites”. Here is a look at who will dominate the sportsbook odds for the second edition of this event.

The United States and Dominican Republic are co-favorites at +200, and these teams will be aiming to knock out the competition with their bats. Look on either roster, and you’ll see many 30-homer guys from the majors, as well as a couple 40 and 50-homer players as well. Alex Rodriguez will have the world watching him after this offseason’s steroid scandal, but unlike A-Rod’s playoff performances, the slugger should be able to deal with the pressure—assuming a hip cyst doesn’t hold him out. The Americans’ starting pitching has a slight edge over the Dominicans in terms of experience, but both could have some problems in the bullpen, which is extremely important given that starters have a 65-95 pitch-count limit throughout the tourney.

The Japanese are listed at +400 to defend their title, and many are wondering who will be the next great superstar to hail from the “land of the rising sun”. Daisuke Matsuzaka parlayed his MVP performance in the 2006 tournament into a MLB bidding war that eventually landed him in Boston. “Dice-K” is joined by only three other MLB players, but the Japanese had only two in 2006, and look where that landed them.

Other teams for those who bet sports to watch are Cuba at +800, and Venezuela at +1200. Cuba fell to Japan in the 2006 final, and once again they won’t have any MLB representatives on their roster. If there is a team that could break through the top three, it’s Venezuela, even with no Johan Santana. Carlos Zambrano will thrive on the idea of being his country’s ace.

It’s hard to look past the Americans and the Dominicans for the final in this event, and this promises to be an explosive game with lots of offensive. While the Americans have more experience, the thrill of pitching for your country could spark the young Dominican starters. Look for Rodriguez to add a WBC MVP award to his collection, and the Dominican Republic is your World Baseball Classic betting pick.