Friday afternoon marks the start of the 2023 Men’s College World Series, as eight schools vie for college baseball supremacy on the game’s biggest stage at Charles Schwab Field. Half the field begins its quest for a title on day one, as TCU, Oral Roberts, Virginia, and Florida attempt to advance toward the winner’s side of bracket one.
While there isn’t a large contingent of bettors wagering on regular-season college baseball, the CWS is a completely different entity. With legal sportsbooks offering single-game markets for every contest in Omaha, seamheads can sweat each pitch of the event, hopefully making a profit when it’s all said and done.
Below, we’ll break down Friday’s two-game slate featuring TCU-Oral Roberts and Florida-Virginia, offering our best bet for each matchup via BetMGM’s odds.
MORE CWS: Full schedule
TCU vs. Oral Roberts odds, best bet
- Run line: TCU -1.5 (-110) | Oral Roberts +1.5 (-120)
- Total: OVER 12.5 (-105) | UNDER 12.5 (-125)
- Moneyline: TCU -175 | Oral Roberts +135
Two of the hottest teams in college baseball go head-to-head in the CWS opener when second-seeded TCU (-175) faces off against fourth-seeded Oral Roberts (+135). TCU’s currently riding an 11-game winning streak and hasn’t lost in the postseason, and Oral Roberts has won 19 of its past 20 games and is just the third No. 4 seed to make it to the CWS under its current format.
TCU’s pegged as the favorites due to having the perceived starting pitching edge with freshman ace Kole Klecker (10-4 3.84 ERA, .209 BAA) getting the ball. Klecker was masterful in his most recent start in Game 1 of the Ft. Worth Super Regional against Indiana State, working seven shutout innings while recording a 9:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
MORE CWS BETTING: National Championship odds
Oral Roberts will counter with right-hander Jakob Hall (8-3, 3.56 ERA, .253 BAA) who started strong in his last outing against Oregon but ended the night allowing five earned runs on seven hits, fanning four Ducks’ while walking none.
Although Oral Roberts was underseeded in the bracket and is much stronger than your traditional No. 4 seed, we’re not sure the Golden Eagles’ will generate enough offense to stay with the Horned Frogs. Klecker’s swing-and-miss stuff can keep ORU’s lineup off-balance in a game he figures to receive ample run support.
Dating back to the start of its torrid stretch, TCU’s offense is slashing .350/.437/.558 while outscoring opponents by 36 runs so far this tournament. Oral Roberts’ offense does rank 19th in slugging (.524) but could struggle to string together consecutive hits against a strong starter in Klecker.
Best bet: TCU run line -1.5 (-110)
Florida vs. Virginia odds, best bet
- Run line: Florida -1.5 (+130) | Virginia +1.5 (-175)
- Total: OVER 10.5 (-115) | UNDER 10.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Florida -140 | Virginia +110
In the nightcap of Friday’s CWS doubleheader, the No. 2 overall seed Florida Gators (-140) do battle against the No. 7 overall seed Virginia Cavaliers (+110). The Gators will lean on ace Brandon Sproat (8-3, 4.69 ERA, .216 BAA) while the Cavaliers counter with ace Nick Parker (8-0, 3.70 ERA, .258 BAA).
Florida’s seen some respected money come their way, moving to -140 after opening at pick ’em odds (-110). Despite a lower return on a Florida moneyline bet with the odds now sitting at -140, we agree with that move and like the Gators to start the CWS 1-0.
Florida’s starting pitching has done its part over the past month, logging a 2.40 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and a 106:29 strikeout-to-walk ratio. If they’re able to get another quality from Sproat, who worked six full innings and allowed three runs in his last outing, the Gators are in a favorable position to start the CWS 1-0.
Virginia leads the country in batting average (.335) but similar to ORU, a step up in class might result in a less effective showing from its offense, especially inside what’s been a pitcher-friendly Charles Schwab Field. We’ll side with Florida, the more powerful offense that sits ninth in slugging (.546), to take down Virginia in Game 2.
Best bet: Florida moneyline (-140)
