The culmination of the 2024 NCAA baseball season will take place over the next 10 days at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
From the opener between ACC rivals North Carolina and Virginia on Friday, June 14, at 2 p.m. ET through the clinching game of the Finals on either Sunday, June 23, or Monday, June 24, eight teams will battle it out for this year's national title:
- Tennessee
- Texas A&M
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
- Florida State
- NC State
- Virginia
- Florida
The SEC and ACC made history in the Super Regionals when both conferences sent four teams to Omaha. This year marks the first time that two conferences have accounted for all eight CWS squads since this became an eight-team back in 1950, according to the AP.
Let's look at how the College World Series is formatted and preview the best College World Series futures bets as well as a few plays to consider over the opening weekend of action.
2024 College World Series Futures Odds
Below are the College World Series futures odds prior to the start of play on Friday from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM and ESPN BET.
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | ESPN BET | |
| Tennessee | +290 | +250 | +250 | +275 |
| Texas A&M | +350 | +350 | +300 | +225 |
| Kentucky | +450 | +470 | +550 | +425 |
| North Carolina | +650 | +650 | +750 | +600 |
| Florida State | +800 | +850 | +800 | +900 |
| NC State | +900 | +1100 | +1100 | +1400 |
| Virginia | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Florida | +1300 | +1300 | +1500 | +1300 |
Hard-Hitting Vols Favored in Omaha
Tennessee is making its third CWS appearance in four years after yet another dominant regular season. The Vols (55-12 on the season) finished the regular season tied for first in the loaded SEC East with CWS third-favorite Kentucky at 22-8. They roll into Omaha after winning the SEC Tournament, then scoring a total of 64 runs -- with at least eight runs scored in each matchup -- in six games across the Knoxville regional and their Super Regional tilt against Evansville. That firepower is a big reason this team enters the CWS as the favorite.
After the Volunteers, their SEC rivals Texas A&M and Kentucky have the next-shortest odds, followed by ACC heavyweights North Carolina and Florida State -- both at 9-to-1 or shorter.
The pre-CWS longshots are Virginia, NC State and Florida. The Wolfpack and Gators won their Super Regional matchups to punch their tickets to Omaha as road underdogs, over Georgia and Clemson, respectively.
College Baseball World Series Schedule, Format, Odds
The 2024 College World Series starts with two games on Friday. Game times and moneyline odds from DraftKings are below:
- No. 12 Virginia (+110) vs. No. 4 North Carolina (-140) (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- No. 8 Florida State (+140) vs. No 1. Tennessee (-180) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Saturday's slate includes NC State (+114) vs. Kentucky (-145) at 2 p.m. ET, followed by Florida (+150) vs. Texas A&M (-195) at 7 p.m. Both of Saturday's games will also air on ESPN.
Over-Under numbers are not yet available for the matchups on Friday and Saturday, but given the potent lineups for both Florida State and Tennessee, the Over in that game will be worth a look, regardless of how high it is.
The format is double-elimination in two groups of four, with the winner of each group to meet in the best-of-three College World Series Championship Finals from Saturday, June 22 through Monday, June 24 (should the series go three games).
Virginia, UNC, FSU and Tennessee are on one side of the bracket, with NCSU, UK, Florida and Texas A&M on the other.
College Baseball World Series Betting Analysis
The fact that the favorite of the eight teams in Omaha, Tennessee, is +250 or longer, speaks to how wide-open the field looks on paper. It's hard to bet against the hard-hitting Vols, but their history of disappointment in the CWS amid similar expectations in previous years is one reason to look elsewhere. Below are a few compelling candidates to raise the trophy:
College World Series Contenders
Texas A&M (Best odds: +350 at DraftKings, FanDuel)
The Aggies breezed through both the Bryan-College Station regional -- where they won three games by a combined score of 21-6 -- and their Super Regional battle with Oregon. A&M scored a total of 25 runs on the Ducks to win that series comfortably in two games, and this team is heavily favored (-195 at DraftKings) to beat Florida in its CWS opener.
Kentucky (Best odds: +550 at BetMGM)
The Wildcats' pitching gives this team a legit shot to win it all. While most games in all eight Super Regionals were shootouts, Kentucky shut out Oregon State 10-0 in Game 1 of its series against Oregon, then completed the best-of-three series win with a 3-2 victory on June 9.
Kentucky's opponent on Saturday, NC State, is coming off an impressive road series win over Georgia. The Wolfpack belted a total of 10 home runs while outscoring the Bulldogs 28-17 over three games.
College World Series Value Plays
NC State (Best odds: +1400 at ESPN BET)
The Pack has a compelling case given all its quality series wins in recent months. NCSU won late-season series against North Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest, and it also split a series with Florida State in early May, so the Wolfpack has shown it can beat some of the best teams in the country. The other reason to keep an eye on this team has to do with happened in its last trip to Omaha in 2021, when COVID-related issues led to NC State having to forfeit and go home early.
Florida (Best odds: +1500 at BetMGM)
To maximize value, why not take a flier on the team with the longest odds, and biggest payout, of anyone? Given the price on the Gators, they're worth a small play after getting hot at the right time. Florida went just 34-28 (13-17 SEC) overall this year, but they're on a tear after going 3-1 in the Stillwater Regional to advance to a Super Regional hosted by Clemson.
Facing a top-5 squad that won 44 games this year, Florida knocked off the Tigers with a 10-7 win in Game 1 of that series, followed by a memorable 11-10 victory in 13 innings in Game 2. Florida is red-hot and features arguably the biggest star in the CWS in likely top-5 MLB Draft pick Jac Caglianone. That makes this team an intriguing darkhorse, especially at an enticing price of 15-to-1.
College baseball fans learned as recently as 2022 how dangerous a red-hot SEC team can be in Omaha. That year's national champ, Ole Miss, barely made the NCAA Tournament following an unimpressive regular season.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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