We moved to 4-2 on our best bets this week, as the Pac-12 has been good to us after dark. Tonight, we'll go back to the well for the second night in a row with Arizona.
With first pitch nearing, let's dive into our best bets for Day 3 of college baseball conference tournament week.
NCAA Baseball Best Bets
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that college baseball writer Doug Ziefel is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 2 p.m. | |
  | 3 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Check out more college baseball content on our NCAA Baseball page. | ||
Texas A&M vs. Tennessee
All four top seeds in the SEC Tournament lost yesterday, and while that's shocking, it has set up one of the best losers' brackets in recent history.
The action in the losers' bracket gets started with a bang, as No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies take on No. 1 Tennessee.
These two lineups are arguably the top two in the country. The Volunteers own a wRC+ of 149, and the Aggies are just behind them with a wRC+ of 145.
However, the Vols have an Achilles' heel: left-handed pitching.
While it's not official at the time of writing, it's predictable that Texas A&M will throw Ryan Prager, who's not just an elite lefty but one of the better pitchers in the country overall.
Prager went 8-1 with a 2.48 ERA and 34.4% strikeout rate on the season. If there's anyone who can shut down the Vols' bats, it's Prager.
Given that the Aggies' bats are expected to bounce back after being stifled by Mississippi State's Khal Stephen, Texas A&M has great value as an underdog this afternoon.
Pick: Texas A&M ML +120
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Ohio State vs. Indiana
The Big Ten Tournament isn't in the national spotlight like some of the other power conferences, but there's a big edge to be had this afternoon.
The Indiana Hoosiers can certainly swing it, boasting a wRC+ mark of 105 while being led by future top draft pick Devin Taylor. But their key to victory is on the mound.
Indiana will hand the ball to its ace, Connor Foley. Foley was fantastic in 12 starts this season, posting a 3.84 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and a 30.8% strikeout rate.
He'll face an Ohio State lineup that has been swinging the bats better of late, but Foley has shown he can compete with great lineups as he contained Coastal Carolina and Dallas Baptist in nonconference play.
On the other side, the Buckeyes' pitching staff has been dreadful this season, entering with a collective ERA of 6.18 and a WHIP of 1.61.
Expect Foley to get plenty of run support as the Hoosiers keep rolling.
Pick: Indiana ML -145
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Cal vs. Arizona
We're going right back to the team that secured us a winning day yesterday. Speaking of secured, Arizona has secured a spot in the Pac-12 semifinals and doesn't have to win this game to advance out of its pool.
However, it's Jackson Kent's turn to throw, and I don't really think he'll be pushed back because routines are important at this point of the season. It's great for us if he goes, as Kent was a big part of the Wildcats' success.
He has a 3.56 ERA to go along with a 1.25 WHIP in 14 starts, and he has already found success against the Golden Bears. Kent threw a quality start against them back in April, allowing two runs and striking out six.
That April series also showed that the Wildcats are head and shoulders above the Golden Bears despite being similar on paper. Arizona ultimately swept the series on the road.
With or without Kent, I'm willing to back the Wildcats to bring us home again.
