The College World Series rolls on with another day of stellar action on the docket Wednesday.
The Florida Gators turn to two-way star Jac Caglianone in hopes of moving on to the Championship Series with a victory over a scrappy TCU Horned Frogs team.
A few hours later, the LSU Tigers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons meet for the second time in three days with a spot in the finals on the line for the Deacs and a plane ride home on the line for the Tigers.
So, let's jump in and find out where the betting value lies for Wednesday's College World Series games.
TCU vs. Florida Odds
| TCU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| +150 | 10.5 -125 / +100 | +1.5 +100 |
| Florida Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
-200 | 10.5 -125 / +100 | -1.5 -130 |
TCU Horned Frogs
After a crushing opening-game loss to Oral Roberts, the Horned Frogs were in an immediate hole. However, they have since dug themselves out of it by upsetting Virginia and avenging their loss to the Golden Eagles with a dominant victory yesterday.
Their winning streak has earned them a date with the Florida Gators on Wednesday.
Florida's pitching has looked dominant, as Brandon Sproat and Hurston Waldrep both dealt in their respective outings. Now, it's going to be Jac Caglianone's turn.
Florida's two-way star has not made an appearance on the hill in over 18 days, so he will be fresh — but he could also take an inning or two to settle in.
Fortunately for Florida, Cags is built to work his way out of command issues, holding a 26% strikeout rate with a microscopic BAA of .184. We may not see Caglianone for long in this one, as he's averaged just over four innings per start.
The Gators are in a good spot behind him, however. Their bullpen is fresh, and we should see their top arms make an impact once Florida grabs the lead.
This leaves the Horned Frogs in a tough spot offensively. Having to face a hard-throwing lefty will neutralize two of their top bats in Brayden Taylor and Elijah Nunez.
Florida Gators
Florida has flexed its muscle through the first two games of the College World Series. It slugged its way back to rally against Virginia and then hit three more homers against Oral Roberts to propel itself to victory in its second game.
It will be interesting to see if the Gators' power surge can continue today with a few things in their path. The first will be TCU's starting pitcher, which is projected to be true freshman Kole Klecker.
Klecker has been dynamite for TCU down the stretch and delivered a great start in the opener against Oral Roberts. However, he's due to regress statistically, and his method of attack could put him in trouble against the powerful Gators.
Klecker has found success working up in the zone with his fastball, but the Gators are among the few teams that can turn it around. Klecker's ability to pitch sharply may also be hindered by throwing on short rest.
TCU vs. Florida Betting Pick
If you've been following my TCU coverage throughout the postseason, you know I've been consistently fading TCU with Klecker on the mound. While he has thwarted me in the past, this is the spot where he could implode.
On the other side, Florida is primed to contain the TCU order, as Caglianone should be effective for the first half of this game. And even if he can't go long, he'll hand the ball off to a well-rested bullpen.
Back the Gators to move on to the finals.
Pick: Florida -200 or Better
LSU vs. Wake Forest Odds
| LSU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| +110 | 10.5 -130 / +100 | +1.5 -130 |
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moneyline | Total | Run Line |
| -145 | 10.5 -130 / +100 | -1.5 +100 |
LSU Tigers
The Tigers sent conference rival Tennessee home last night thanks to an unsung hero on the mound and some timely hitting.
However, the LSU lineup hasn't hit like it did for the majority of the season. The Tigers have averaged just 4.6 runs per game through their first three in Omaha, which is half of what they averaged during the season.
That's due to facing some top-tier pitching and having some strong winds blowing in, which has deadened several fly balls in Omaha.
However, the issue for LSU is that both of those things will continue tonight. The Demon Deacons are in a great spot with their pitching staff. They have a significant edge having yesterday off, and many of their elite arms are rested.
The Tigers will likely have to contend with Reed Mascolo to start this game. Mascolo may be vulnerable against this order, as his FIP is over two runs higher than his season ERA. If Mascolo's leash is short or he doesn't take the mound at all, the Deacs can turn to either Seth Keener or Sean Sullivan, who each have proven to be dominant starters in their own right.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
While I was harping on the LSU lineup, the Demon Deacons haven't been any better. Wake Forest came into Omaha with all the hype, and it appears to have hampered the offense through its first two games.
Wake has won each game by a score of 3-2, and the Demon Deacons have had to rally late to salvage victories in both games. Winning cures everything, so no one is overly concerned about their performance at the plate, but it also helps that they're in a good spot to bounce back tonight.
LSU received a miraculous performance from Nate Ackenhausen yesterday, as he shut down the Vols in his first start of the season. His effort helped save the LSU bullpen, but the Tigers' pitching staff is still in dire straights.
It will likely be a combination of untrustworthy arms for LSU in this one, and the Demon Deacons should be able to capitalize on that.
LSU vs. Wake Forest Betting Pick
Neither lineup has looked particularly impressive to this point, but only one of them is primed to break out tonight. Wake should get it going against what's left of the LSU pen, but the biggest factor in this matchup is the wind.
We saw yesterday how the wind blowing in impacted nearly every fly ball, and both of these teams rely on power to generate their offense. With balls not flying out and elite arms going for the Deacs, this one should stay under the total.
Pick: Under 10.5 (Play to 10)
