In-state SEC rivals, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, are shaping up to be the biggest liabilities at sportsbooks in the 2021 College World Series.
Vanderbilt (+175) is the betting favorite following Arkansas' early exit — half the price of Tennessee and Texas coming in at +350. Only eight college baseball teams remain, with Vanderbilt on one side of the bracket opposite of Tennessee and Texas.
The Commodores, led by pitching duo and future MLB draft picks Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker, opened at +800 prior to the drop to +175. According to BetMGM, Vanderbilt is the sportsbook's second-biggest liability.
On paper, Vanderbilt has the easier path to reach the best-two-out-of-three final series. First is a matchup against Arizona on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Wildcats opened at +2500 to win the College World Series, but those odds have since dropped down to +650. Should the Vandy Boys advance, they'll meet the winner of Stanford (+900) and tournament Cinderella, N.C. State (+1200).
The Wolfpack shocked the college baseball world with a series win over Arkansas, the consensus top team all season. After a 21-2 win in Game 1, it appeared the Razorbacks would roll. But, N.C. State bounced back with a 6-5 win in Game 2. Jonny Butler's 13th home run of the year gave the Wolfpack a 2-1 lead in Game 3 before freshman shortstop Jose Torres homered in the 9th to seal the 3-2 upset win.
On the other side of the bracket, Tennessee comes in as BetMGM's biggest liability among the teams remaining. The Volunteers take on Virginia (opened +3000; now +1000) in the opening series on Sunday.
The winner advances to take on the winner of Texas (+350) vs. Mississippi State (+1800 to +650). The Bulldogs are the third-biggest liability as sportsbooks will be rooting for anyone but the SEC to win the national championship in Omaha.
