Olympic Baseball Bet Preview
Tournament Preview
Baseball makes a return to the Olympic Games for the first time since the 2008 Beijing games and with 6 of the biggest teams in the world in action, it promises to be an enthralling competition. Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and Dominican Republic join the United States of America as the sides taking part, with South Korea defending their gold medal won 13 years ago. Baseball has been in and out of the Olympic programme for the past couple of decades and with the sport currently off the list of sports at Paris 2024, all 6 teams will be keen to put on a spectacle here.
Men’s
Gold Medal Winner
With only six teams taking part in the baseball competition at the Tokyo Olympics, every side will fancy their chances of sneaking into the medal places:-
Home advantage has the capacity to be a huge influence within the baseball competition and Japan’s patronage to the sport has grown markedly over the past few years. Housed in a group with Mexico fancied Israel and Dominican Republic, they are the bookmakers favourites to go all the way in home conditions.
United States of America – 3/1
With some of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball taking part here in Tokyo, there is a real sense of optimism growing around the American team. Taking on South Korea and Israel in the group stages is sure to have its challenges but with the American team still reeling from missing out at Beijing 2008, they will be looking for revenge here in Tokyo.
Defending champions South Korea, like Japan, have seen baseball become increasingly popular within the national psyche over the past few years and how they would love to emulate their feat of Beijing 2008. Many of their key players currently ply their trade in Japan, so will be familiar with the conditions and they could be the shrewd outside bet once more here.
Mexico showed real resolve to qualify from the World Baseball Championship at the back end of 2019 and they will revel in their role of underdogs here in Tokyo. Taking on hosts Japan will be easier without home fans in attendance, whilst the Dominican Republic are old foes they have come across on many occasions and if they make it out of the group, anything is possible.
The Dominican Republic consistently punch above their weight in the world of baseball and having made it through the final qualifying tournament in June 2021, they will be enjoying all that comes with the Olympic experience. Opening games against Japan and Mexico are sure to be tough but they could sneak under the radar here in Tokyo.
Despite being the rank outsiders of the competition, Israel will fancy their chances of upsetting a few established names at Tokyo 2020. South Korea and the United States of America will prove to be very difficult opponents in the group stage but if they can find the sort of form that saw they qualify in the Africa/Europe Qualifying event, they will be quietly confident of causing an upset.
BetXchange Olympic Baseball Best Bet:
With only six teams taking part in the Olympic baseball competition, the destination of the gold medal could be relatively difficult to predict. Japan will enjoy home advantage and South Korea are the defending champions but the United States of America have some of their biggest names out in Tokyo and they will be desperate to clinch gold at these games.
Men’s Gold Medal Winner: United States of America – 3/1
