Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains.
That was the case for Tuesday's slate as our Oral Roberts-Oklahoma State over got pushed to Wednesday, but it still cashed, and now we're ready to continue our winning week with my best bets for Friday nights slate.
Let's dive right into it.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Miami Hurricanes
7 p.m. ET
The loaded ACC gives us another tremendous series as the 13th-ranked Tar Heels travel down to Coral Gables to take on a revitalized Miami program. The Hurricanes have gotten off to a solid start in conference play as they've taken their first two conference series, but North Carolina is a step up in competition.
The Heels have been scorching hot through the first month of the season, winning 18 of their first 21 games. Their pitching staff has been lights out as they own the second-best team ERA in the country at 2.07. However, the Hurricanes have the opportunity to steal the opening game behind their ace at home.
Carson Palmquist has been masterful through five starts this season. He'll enter this start with a 3.91 ERA and a .217 opponent batting average. However, the crafty lefty has also shown that he can miss plenty of bats as he has racked up 35 strikeouts over 25 innings of work.
The Hurricanes' offense will not blow your doors off, but they have thrived at home this season as Miami is 11-3 on their home turf thus far.
The 'Canes are rightly favored here because they can take this game from the better team.
Pick: Miami ML -145
Vanderbilt Commodores vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
7 p.m. ET
The Vandy Boys took the first game of the series in a complete performance as Chris McElvain carved up the Gamecocks and got plenty of run support in a 10-0 victory.
Heading into tonight's matchup, pitching should reign supreme, but this time South Carolina has an arm that can match the mighty Vandy rotation.
Will Sanders will be making his sixth start of the season, and he has been the Gamecocks' best starter so far this year. Sanders holds a 3.64 ERA and .241 opponent batting average while striking out more than one batter per inning.
He'll likely be opposed by Carter Holton, who has been just as dominant as the rest of his staff-mates. Holton is a perfect 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA and microscopic .111 opponent batting average. He gets to face a mediocre Gamecocks offense that is hitting just .265 as a team and has only hit 15 homers this season.
I expect Holton to be lights out yet again, but Sanders has the ability to match him against a Vandy lineup that has not been potent at times this year.
Pick: Under 10.5
Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ole Miss Rebels
7:30 p.m. ET
I would be remiss if I did not highlight the best series of the weekend as the number one ranked Rebels play host to the fifth-ranked Volunteers.
This whole series will be must-watch TV, but Friday night is a treat as Tennessee's ace Chase Burns will square off against the 20th-best offense in the country. Burns has electric stuff and has been nearly untouchable this season. He'll enter this start with a 0.68 ERA and with a 34-to-9 strikeout to walk ratio.
Now I mentioned that the Rebels are the 20th-best offense in terms of batting average, but the 'Vols are even better. Tennessee is third in the nation in batting average, first in home runs and second in runs scored.
They will be pitted up against Ole Miss' Josh Gaddis, who has been tremendous in his own right, but the Tennessee lineup is overwhelming. The 'Vols have three guys hitting over .400 and only one starter hitting under .280.
Ole Miss may be ranked higher, but the 'Vols are the better club.
Tennessee ML -115
