WBC kicks off! The first on-chain prediction is out: the Chinese team is favored with a 65% chance to beat Australia, Polymarket trading volume exceeds one million dollars

The 2026 World Baseball Classic officially kicks off tomorrow, with the Chinese Taipei team facing Australia in their first game. Prediction markets on Polymarket and BC.Game are clearly optimistic about Taiwan securing an opening win. Trading volume for WBC-related contracts has exceeded $1.4 million, with Japan leading Pool C as the favorite with an 87% chance to win the group.

(Background recap: Why are the odds for Taiwan Sports Lottery so different from those on blockchain Web3?)

(Additional context: BC.GAME’s 2025 year — a leading year in crypto gaming)

The World Baseball Classic (WBC) begins tomorrow (3/5) at Tokyo Dome, with Chinese Taipei facing Australia. Head coach Zeng Haoju announced that star pitcher Xu Ruoxi, known as the “Fireballer,” will start the game, aiming for an opening win; Australia will send former MLB pitcher Alex Wells to compete.

“Fireballer” Xu Ruoxi to start, international odds favor Chinese Taipei

On the prediction market Polymarket, trading volume for WBC-related contracts has surpassed $1.4 million, covering over 151 markets including group champions, overall champions, and single-game outcomes. The implied win probability for Chinese Taipei over Australia is 65%, while South Korea’s chance of beating Czech Republic is as high as 94%.

In the overall WBC champion prediction, the United States leads with a 50% chance, Japan follows at 22%, and the Dominican Republic at 20%. The real-time probabilities for the Pool C group champion are:

• Japan: 87%
• South Korea: 9%
• Australia: 5.2%
• Chinese Taipei: 2.9%
• Czech Republic: 1%

Another platform, BC.Game, has set real-time odds for this game: Chinese Taipei to win at 1.54, Australia at 2.3, implying approximately a 65% chance for Taiwan and 43% for Australia. The market clearly favors Chinese Taipei to secure the victory in the opening game.

As the WBC heats up, participation from international crypto communities in sports markets is expected to rise further — for the crypto industry, this is not just a baseball game, but another test of whether on-chain prediction markets can establish a foothold in mainstream sports.