Football is over. Major League Baseball won’t see its first pitch thrown until the official start of Spring. No need to hit the sports fan snooze button for another month. Fans and bettors alike should be excited about the often media-muted college baseball season.
While most of America was concerned about what to buy/where to eat on Valentine’s Day, NCAA baseball teams opened their seasons.
The strong teams are doing their best to stay focused on the present. Many of the young players, though, are concerned with their possible draft position, whether they will play A or AAA ball in a couple of years, and of course the possibility of playing in the upcoming 2018 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
Last year in Omaha, it was the Florida Gators who took the College World Series trophy back to Gainesville. While they didn’t have close to the best record for the entire year, they played well when it counted. Elite pitching was the story last year, and it’s even more so the case this season.
The team that finished 2018 with far and above the best record in college baseball was the Oregon State Beavers. They completed their campaign at 56-6!
Only one team since 1957 has finished with less than 6 losses, and that was St John’s NY who finished at 34-4. This still doesn’t match the Beaver’s winning percentage of 90%! This is, of course, more bitter than sweet for Oregon State fans because they went 2-2 in the 2017 World Series.
The next best record from last year was from the University of North Carolina who went 49-14. The Tar Heels will face seven ranked opponents this year which makes achieving another 49-win season, a tall task.
The ACC looks to be the 2nd best conference in baseball this year behind the dominant SEC once again. The University of Virginia is already abuzz with National Championship hopes as their basketball team is looking at a #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tourney. The Hoos of the baseball diamond will look to ride any momentum they can all the way to Omaha in June.
While the majority of top 25 ranked baseball teams are from the south, we shouldn’t overlook some teams from California that are no strangers to the World Series. UCLA, Cal State Fullerton, and Stanford are all contenders in 2018.
The Sports Betting & Online Betting at BetOnline Sportsbook has provided us with some odds to win the 2018 College World Series. I’m going to give you my favorites to win it, some value picks, as well as a couple sleepers.
Here are some the College World Series betting odds worth noting.
Florida: 8/1 Oregon State: 10/1 Florida State: 14/1 Arkansas: 14/1 Texas Tech: 14/1 North Carolina: 20/1 Kentucky: 20/1 CS Fullerton: 25/1 UCLA: 25/1 UVA: 28/1 Clemson: 33/1 Stanford: 40/1 Texas: 40/1 Miami: 50/1 Houston: 50/1Okay, the first pitch has been thrown. Whiff, whiff, clink! Yes, that was a clink, not a crack. This isn’t the major leagues yet.
The clink of the bat always takes me back to playing little league, and hitting my first and only home run. Okay, maybe it was a double with a 2-base error. Baseball was never my sport. It requires a great deal of patience.
It’s a long time until June, but with these future bets, you can have a team(s) to watch as the season progresses.
Florida: 8/1As we know, the Gators are the defending National Champions. According to these odds, they are the favorites to repeat. If they do happen to make it to Omaha, they will definitely be battle-tested in the Southeastern Conference.
Looking at CBS Sports – News, Live Scores, Schedules, Fantasy Games, Video …, the SEC is once again projected to be the best conference in baseball. They have 4 teams in the top 10, and 8 teams in the top 25. Arkansas will be contending for the World Series and likely winning the SEC West. Florida should come out of the East.
The Gators will be returning the nation’s best pitching staff including two pitchers who may both be drafted in the top 10 in the MLB draft. Their closer, Michael Byrne, is an All American. Right-handed starter Brady Singer will be their ace. He may be the best pitcher in the NCAA.
With Florida loaded everywhere, especially at pitcher, I like their chances to repeat as National Champs.
Oregon State: 10/1Build the Dam! I learned that today, and it’s one of the best college sports slogans I’ve heard in some time. Oregon State built such an efficient dam last year, they damned themselves. They had 4 losses going into the World Series last year and didn’t win it all.
To put that into perspective for you, it’s comparable to the 2007 New England Patriots winning every game except the Super Bowl. As a fan, can you really look back and smile about the most winningest season your team has ever had? That’s a tough pill.
Last year’s dam was a darn disaster by the end. The Beavers and their coaching staff had over 6 months to digest the aforementioned tough pill. These guys will be stronger than ever, and arguably are a better team top to bottom than any other in the field including the Florida Gators.
UVA: 28/1Who? The Hoos! I apologize, but this joke never gets old to me. Anyhoo…okay I’ll stop. The University of Virginia is well-coached and has another smart team looking to contend in June.
For me, they represent value at 28/1. If you are looking to spread your money around the field, make sure you stop by Charlottesville and put a few bucks on the Cavaliers.
Even though they lost 2 players in the first round of the MLB draft, the coaches consistently recruit well. Virginia will be a bit younger and less experienced than in the past, so they may struggle early in the season. Continuous improvement or incremental progress will be the key for any young team.
3x National Coach of the Year Brian O’Connor’s will have the Hoos improving with each win or loss. Towards the end of the season, the Cavs will hopefully be more like a 10/1 to win the Series. UVA will get better. So, bet now or forever hold your peace.
CS Fullerton: 25/1I’m sticking with youth and potential again here, and the hopes that less experienced players will improve by the end of the season. That is really the best way to find value in a potential World Series winner this early in the season.
Cal State Fullerton, with some timely hitting, should be able to secure some early wins this year. If they can take a lead late in the game, closer Brett Conine should be able to set batters down with consistency building on an ERA last season of 1.39.
Remember the Titans in June! Or at least remember how much you bet on them to win the Series because their chances should improve as the season progresses.
Texas: 40/1The Longhorns will be playing in their second season under head coach David Pierce, and that means they are a bit of a wildcard. Not unlike some of my value picks, UT looks like they will be a much better team in May and June.
Stanford: 40/1The Cardinal will be approaching unchartered territory with new head coach David Esquer. Esquer comes into Palo Alto with a strong resume having led the Cal Bears to a World Series title back in 2011.
Hitting the ball with consistency and driving in runs will be a major concern for Stanford in 2018. Their starting pitching, though, should be their rock. They will need to keep opponents off of the board early in games if they want a chance to play in Omaha.
If Esquer can work his magic, we may see the Cardinal going deep into the NCAA Baseball Tournament and possibly in the College World Series.
The aforementioned Oregon State Beavers had one of the best seasons ever last year. They also blew it in the World Series. Two emotions were subsequently manifested.
The first emotion was confidence. This was a product of winning 56 out of 62 games.
Even though they obviously didn’t win the World Series, they know they can get back there.
Losing the World Series after nearly a flawless season can leave you feeling like you’ve been chewing on a raw leaf of kale for 6 months. The bitterness the Beavers took into their offseason workouts has pushed them to be a better team not only physically but emotionally as well.
With a 50/50 mixture of confidence and bitterness, watch out for Oregon State in 2018. Build the dam I say!
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