Shohei Ohtani and the Japan Samurai begin their title defense of the World Baseball Classic bright and early when they take on Chinese Taipei in Pool C play Friday morning at the Tokyo Dome.
My Japan vs. Chinese Taipei predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets explain why the Samurai and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will open the tournament with a dominant performance.
Japan vs Chinese Taipei prediction
Japan vs Chinese Tapei best bet: Under 7.5 (-105 at DraftKings)
The Japanese rotation won’t be as strong as it was in 2023, but it’s still anchored by Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Yamamoto’s dominant performance in the World Series led the Los Angeles Dodgers to back-to-back championships and earned him the Fall Classic MVP.
Chinese Taipei played in the tournament-opening game against Australia and managed just three hits, all singles, with nine strikeouts in a 3-0 shutout loss.
It’s hard to imagine them doing any damage against Yamamoto and this Japanese pitching staff.
The Samurai will score a handful of runs and call it a day, cashing the Under.
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Japan vs Chinese Taipei same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 7.5
Japan -4.5
Chinese Taipei can pitch a little bit. Ruei-Yang Gu Lin, Yu-Min Li, and Hsu Jo-shi can all hit 95-plus miles per hour on the gun.
But while the CT staff does just enough to keep this game Under, the Japan lineup led by the GOAT Shohei Ohtani, is stacked and will overwhelm the Chinese Taipei pitchers and cover this crazy runline of -4.5.
Kazuma Okamoto star player prop
Kazuma Okamoto best bet: Home run (+425 at DraftKings)
Let’s go with one of the latest guys to make the jump to the big leagues to go deep. Toronto Blue Jays’ third baseman Kazuma Okamoto has six seasons of hitting 30 or more home runs and has 277 in his NPB career.
Japan vs Chinese Taipei opening odds
- Moneyline: Japan -1400 | Chinese Taipei +700
- Run line: Japan -4.5 | Chinese Taipei +4.5
- Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
How to watch Japan vs Chinese Taipei and game info
| Location | Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan |
| Date | Friday, March 6, 2026 |
| First pitch | 5:00 a.m. ET |
| TV | FS1 |
| Japan starting pitcher | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
| Chinese Taipei starting pitcher | Hao-Chun Cheng |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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