The 2026 World Baseball Classic continues on Sunday, with Japan vs. Australia in pool play. Both teams are 2-0 in Pool C play, making them the current favorites to advance to the elimination rounds.
First pitch for Sunday morning's Japan vs. Australia baseball game is scheduled for 6:00 a.m. ET on FS1, with Japan currently a heavy favorite on PrizePicks Team Picks (1.02x payout to win).
Below, we'll break down our Australia vs. Japan prediction and picks for their 2026 WBC game. Make your WBC picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, run lines, and tournament winners.
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Australia vs. Japan Prediction for WBC 2026
Japan enters Sunday’s matchup with wins in its opening two games of the WBC. They recorded a dominant 13-0 win against Chinese Taipei on Friday in which DH Shohei Ohtani slugged a grand slam in the second inning.
Japan was able to follow that performance with a hard-fought 8-6 win against rival Korea on Saturday morning.
It was a tight game that Japan actually trailed 3-0 in the early going, before eventually pulling away in the late innings. As should come as no surprise, Japan has looked like one of the top teams in the tournament in the early going.
Australia has also gotten off to a strong start in the WBC by putting together a pair of wins. The Australians began the tournament with a 3-0 win against Chinese Taipei on Wednesday, in which they only allowed three total hits.
On Thursday, Australia handled Czechia in a 5-1 triumph behind home runs from Chicago White Sox 1B Curtis Mead and C Alex Hall.
Although I ranked the Australia WBC roster 16th out of 20 teams in this tournament, they have impressed so far in two games vs. poor opponents.
Australia vs. Japan Prediction for 2026 WBC Game – Sunday, March 7
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Australia vs. Japan prediction on the winner for Sunday, March 8, on PrizePicks.
Team Australia Preview vs. Japan for WBC
- 2024 Cleveland Guardians No. 1 Travis Bazzana is one of the key players for Australia.
- Bazzana slugged an impressive solo home run off Chinese Taipei P Yi Chang in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s game.
- Bazzana is 2-for-8 with a home run and a walk in two games of the tournament. During the 2025 season, the 23-year old split time between the Akron RubberDucks (Guardians’ Double-A affiliate) and the Columbus Clippers (Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate).
- Connor MacDonald is the probable starting pitcher for Australia against Japan.
- MacDonald spent time in the Houston Astros minor league system in 2014 and 2015, but has primarily pitched in the Australian Baseball League.
- He has a career record of 7-7 with a 4.57 ERA and a 1.428 WHIP in 138.0 IP in the Australian Baseball League.
- Australia’s pitching staff has only surrendered one run on seven total hits across two games in the WBC thus far, albeit against much lesser competition than Japan's No. 2-ranked roster.
Team Japan Preview vs. Australia
- Despite not pitching in the WBC, Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani is swinging a hot bat to begin the WBC.
- Ohtani has recorded a .833 average (5-for-6), ranking second among all hitters, while being tied for the lead in home runs (2).
- Ohtani also ranks second among all hitters in RBIs (6) behind only Korea’s Bo Gyeong Moon (7).
- Rockies SP Tomoyuki Sugano is listed as the probable starting pitcher for Sunday’s game.
- Sugano went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.331 WHIP to go along with 106 strikeouts with the Baltimore Orioles in 2025.
- Per Baseball Savant, Sugano registered a 15.7% strikeouts, ranking in just the sixth percentile among MLB pitchers — a clear pitch-to-contact approach.
- Boston Red Sox OF Masataka Yoshida has gotten off to a strong start in the WBC. Yoshida has posted a stat line of .571/.625/1.143 with a home run and four RBIs in two games.
- Chicago Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki has also been seeing the ball well at the plate. Suzuki has also belted a pair of home runs, while knocking in four runs in seven at-bats so far.
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Make Australia vs. Japan WBC Picks on PrizePicks
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is in full swing, with Australia facing Japan on Sunday morning in the third game of the tournament for both teams.
Japan will be looking to get off to a 3-0 start, while Australia is aiming to pull off an upset and stay undefeated themselves.
You can make your World Baseball Classic picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick your players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make your predictions on winners, spreads, and WBC winners, now available in 35 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued World Baseball Classic predictions, picks, and news.
