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Team USA will play a crucial contest against Canada on Monday night at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. USA beat an overmatched Great Britain team in their WBC opener Saturday before falling to Mexico in one-sided fashion as part of what had been a highly anticipated game Sunday. At 1-1, USA needs a win to better position itself in Pool C.

The Americans are guaranteed to play at least four games in the tournament, one apiece against each of the teams in their pool (Canada, Colombia, Great Britain, Mexico). After that, the top two teams in each pool will advance to what amounts to a single-elimination eight-team tournament. The Americans are the defending WBC champions, having won the tournament the last time it was held, back in 2017. Will fate be as kind to this year's squad? So far, the answer has been "no."

We'll know more after Monday's game. You can view the full tournament schedule by clicking here. Now let's move on to how you can watch Team USA's clash with Canada.  

Team USA vs. Canada how to watch

Date: Monday, Mar. 13 | Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
Location: Chase Field (Phoenix, AZ)
TV channel: FS1 | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: USA -500; CAN +375; O/U: 11.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Starting pitchers: RHP Lance Lynn (USA) vs. LHP Mitch Bratt (Canada)

Players to watch

Despite a star-studded roster, the single most important player to watch Monday does not play for USA. It's Bratt, Canada's starting pitcher. Bratt, 19, was selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, and he spent last season in Single-A. He threw 80 2/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA and 90 strikeouts. MLB.com ranks him the No. 17 prospect in Texas' farm system. Here's a snippet of their scouting report:

Bratt enjoys a lot of success pitching off of a low-90s fastball that reached 95 mph and plays better than its velocity thanks to its carry up in the zone and his ability to command it. All of his stuff grades as average at the moment, with some debate as to whether his mid-70s curveball or his low-80s changeup, both of which feature depth, is his best secondary pitch. He made encouraging progress with a low-80s slider he added during the instructional league last offseason ... He's cerebral and extremely advanced for his age, but he gets outs with his fastball at the expense of using the rest of his arsenal, and he'll need to employ those offerings more often to refine them. With his projectable stuff, feel for pitching and mound presence, he has the look of a future No. 4 starter.

The WBC pitch limits (65 pitches in the first round) ensure the bullpens will be a factor Monday, and Bratt may only be asked to get 3-6 outs. Still, Canada is sending a 19-year-old kid to the mound against a powerhouse USA lineup. It feels like there are only two possible outcomes: Bratt gets obliterated or he shockingly shuts down USA, with nothing in between.

Beyond Canada's neophyte starter, it'll be on Canada's Freddie Freeman and Tyler O'Neill to match USA's offense. USA has an off-day Tuesday -- every team has one scheduled off-day in the first round -- so manager Mark DeRosa can use his bullpen fairly aggressively, if necessary.

Prediction

Team USA is heavily favored Monday, and while Bratt pitching well against that lineup would be a tremendous story, I just can't see it. USA's lineup is too strong and they have a deeper pitching staff as well. We're going with USA.

Pick: Team USA 8, Canada 2