**USA Battles Venezuela in World Baseball Classic Final** The highly anticipated World Baseball Classic (WBC) finale takes place tonight at loanDepot park in Miami, with Team USA facing off against Venezuela. The United States is favored to win, with odds of -295, while the total number of runs is set at 8.5 for the 8 p.m. ET first pitch, broadcast live on FOX. This will be the third consecutive title game for the Americans, who won their only previous WBC title in 2017. As the designated home team, USA gets to enjoy the support of their fans at loanDepot park. In contrast, Venezuela is making its first-ever WBC final appearance after rallying to defeat Italy 4-2 in the second semifinal on Monday. USA will be relying on young pitching sensation Nolan McLean to lead them to victory. McLean, a righty from the New York Mets, takes the mound against Venezuela in the championship game. While two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal was initially expected to pitch for the Americans, he returned to Detroit's spring training camp in Lakeland, Florida, after a single pool-play start. Skubal's decision not to pitch for the USA team has raised some eyebrows, with some critics suggesting that he's taking a risk by opting out of the competition to avoid injury ahead of a potentially lucrative free-agent contract. The United States got off to a strong start in the semifinal against the Dominican Republic, with reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes pitching 4.1 innings and allowing just one run. Gunnar Henderson (Orioles) and Roman Anthony (Red Sox) also hit solo home runs for the team. Meanwhile, USA ace Logan Webb, who has performed impressively in the WBC with a 2-0 record and 1.04 ERA, is expected to be available for relief duties. With the championship on the line, USA fans are eagerly anticipating a thrilling matchup between their team and Venezuela.