Sports personality Pat McAfee lost $5,000 after betting on the United States national baseball team to defeat the Italy national baseball team in a surprising upset during the World Baseball Classic.
The former NFL punter and ESPN host placed a $5,000 wager on Team USA’s moneyline at -1100 odds through DraftKings. The bet would have returned just over $450 in profit had Team USA secured the win.
Instead, Italy pulled off an 8–6 victory on Tuesday night. Team USA fell behind early and trailed 8–0 entering the bottom of the sixth inning before mounting a late rally, but the comeback effort ultimately fell short.
McAfee revealed the reasoning behind the wager in a social media post on Wednesday, sharing a screenshot of the betting slip. “WOW I NEED A WIN BAD,” he wrote. “Just any sort of positive bet would be sweet at this stage of continued losses.. What’s a guaranteed win regardless of the odds?”
He later elaborated on the decision during his show, explaining that the bet was driven by both his desire to snap a losing streak and his support for the United States. “I put $5,000 on that thing because that was the only way I was going to win anything of significance. $5,000 bet, $454 bucks, all I really wanted was the dub in the chat.”
“WOW I NEED A WIN BAD.. Just any sort of positive bet would be sweet at this stage of continued losses.. What’s a guaranteed win regardless of the odds?”
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 11, 2026
👀👀👀
First time I’ve ever just hammered a MASSIVE favorite and we lose to fucking Italy in baseball…
ITALY pic.twitter.com/L1mvgJMgmU
Despite the setback, McAfee did not heavily criticize Team USA manager Mark DeRosa, who had previously acknowledged he was unaware the team needed the win to advance in the tournament.
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Following the result, Team USA’s chances of advancing depended on the outcome of Italy’s next game against the Mexico national baseball team. The Americans needed either an Italian victory or a Mexico win in which Mexico scored at least five runs.
After losing the wager, McAfee said he would be rooting for Italy in that matchup but suggested he may avoid further betting on the tournament. “You’re doing it for the good of baseball today, Italy,” McAfee said.
Pat McAfee Says WWE Return Unlikely As ESPN Work Expands
In a separate update, Pat McAfee indicated that a return to WWE may not happen soon as his broadcasting career continues to expand. For the unversed, McAfee last appeared on WWE television in September 2025 during Wrestlepalooza. Since then, he has focused largely on hosting The Pat McAfee Show and appearing on ESPN’s College GameDay.
Responding to a fan question on Instagram about a potential comeback, McAfee suggested that his time in the company may have passed. “I don’t think you ever say never, especially with the WWE. But right now, it does not feel like it is something that is supposed to happen.”
He added, “It feels like that business has kind of passed me by a little bit. I grew up loving it, dreamed of working it, and feel honored that I had the opportunity to work alongside the GOAT, Michael Cole. But I feel like the business is in a good spot without me. I’ll continue to watch.”
McAfee joined WWE’s SmackDown broadcast team in 2021 as a color commentator alongside Michael Cole after previously making guest appearances and occasional in ring appearances beginning in 2018.
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His comments about stepping away from WWE coincided with new work at ESPN, including the network’s NFL offseason program “Free Agency Frenzy,” which featured McAfee hosting discussions with analysts Peter Schrager, Dan Orlovsky, and Adam Schefter from his Thunderdome studio in Indianapolis during the start of the league’s free agency period.
